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A  CONDENSED  TREATISE 

ON    THE 

CULTURE  OF  BERRIES 


BY  JACOB  BIGGLE 


il 


WITH  LEAVES  FROM  THE  EXPERIENCE  OF  MANY  PRACTICAL 

BERRY  GROWERS  IN  ALL  PARTS  OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES 


ILLUSTRATED 


1  Doubtless  God  could  have  made  a  better  fruit  than  the  strawberry, 
but  He  never  did." 


PHILADELPHIA 

WILMER  ATKINSON  Co. 
1800 


FIRST  EDITION,  1894 

SECOND  EDITION,  1899 

COPYRIGHT.   1894 

BY 
WiL/v\b,<  ATKINSON  Co. 


A  BOUQUET  OF  GANDYS 
(WITH  HARRIET'S  COMPLIMENTS) 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.  The  Beginning 9 

CHAPTER  II.  The  Strawberry 12 

CHAPTER  III.  What  an  Acre  May  Do 17 

CHAPTER  IV.  Soil  and  Location 19 

CHAPTER  V.  Manuring  and  Preparing  the  Ground  .    .    22 

CHAPTER  VI.  Planting 26 

CHAPTER  VII.  The  Planting  Season 29 

CHAPTER  VIII.  Summer  Planting 31 

CHAPTER  IX.  Summer  Planting— Continued 34 

CHAPTER  X.  Saving  Labor .    .    38 

CHAPTER  XI.  Distance  Apart 43 

CHAPTER  XII.  Mulching -48 

CHAPTER  XIII.  Underdraining  and  Irrigation 51 

CHAPTER  XIV.  Stamiuates  and  Pistillates 55 

CHAPTER  XV.  Ten  Varieties  of  Established  Merit  .    .    .    61 

CHAPTER  XVI.  Other  Old  Varieties 67 

CHAPTER  XVII.  Newer  Varieties  on  Trial 75 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  Brief  Analysis  of  Varieties 80 

CHAPTER  XIX.  The  Old  Strawberry  Bed 83 

CHAPTER  XX.  Do  Varieties  Run  Out? 86 

CHAPTER  XXI.  Leaf  Rust  and  Insects 89 

CHAPTER  XXII.  Picking  and  Marketing 93 

CHAPTER  XXIII.  Picking  and  Marketing— Continued     .   .    97 

CHAPTER  XXIV.  Contributors'  Portraits    .   . 101 

CHAPTER  XXV.  A  List  of  Don'ts no' 

CHAPTER  XXVI.  Aftermath •  .  114 

CHAPTER  XXVII.  The  Raspberry 116 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.  The  Blackberry 122 

CHAPTER  XXIX.  The  Currant 130 

CHAPTER  XXX.  The  Gooseberry 136 

CHAPTER  XXXI.  Other  Berries 142 


ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  COLOR. 


STRAWBERRIES. 

Bederwood,  Plate  IV. 

Beverly,  Plate  II. 

Brandywitie,  Plate  VI. 

Bubach,  Plate  VIII. 

Carrie,  Plate  IV. 

Clyde,  Plate  IV. 

Crescent,  Plate  II. 

Edgar  Queen,  Plate  I. 

Erie,  Plate  V. 

Felton,  Plate  V. 

Gandy,  Plate  II. 

Gardiner,  Plate  VIII. 

Greenville,  Plate  III. 

Haverland,  Plate  IV. 

Jocunda  Improved,  Plate  III. 

I^ida,  Plate  V. 

I<ovett,  Plate  I. 

Maximus,  Plate  IX. 

Morgan's  Favorite,  Plate  IX. 

Nick  Ohmer,  Plate  I. 

Parker  Earle,  Plate  IV. 

Pease,  Plate  II. 

Pride    of  Cumberland,    Plate 

VIII. 

Princess,  Plate  III. 
Salem,  Plate  II. 


Sample,  Sample  Interior,  Plate 

VII. 

Warfield,  Plate  VI. 
Wm.  Belt,  Plate  VI. 

RASPBERRIES. 

Cuthbert,  Plate  X. 
Gregg,  Plate  XI. 
Kansas,  Plate  XI. 
lyOudon,  Plate  X. 
Lovett,  Plate  XII. 
Older,  Plate  XI. 
Palmer,  Plate  XII. 
Royal  Church,  Plate  X. 

CURRANTS. 
Cherry,  Plate  XV. 
Fay,  Plate  XIII. 
North  Star,  Plate  XIII. 
Victoria,  Plate  XIV. 
White  Grape,  Plate  XV. 

GOOSEBERRIES. 

Chautauqua,  Plate  XVI. 
Columbus,  Plate  XVI. 
Downing,  Plate  XVI. 
Houghton,  Plate  XVI. 
Smith's  Improved,  Plate  XVI. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 
IN    BLACK  AND  WHITE. 


PAGE 

Beder  Woods,  Dish  of 69 

Berries,  Some  Leading 66 

Blackberry,  The 121,  122 

Blossom,  Perfect  and  Imperfect 55 

Brandywiue,  A  Dish  of  Royal 65 

California  Big  Tree  Berry 54 

Carrie 85 

Dewberry 129 

Eldorado  Blackberry 125. 

Felton,  A  Notable  Quartette 71 

Gaudys,  A  Bouquet  of 3 

Getting  Acquainted 28 

Greenville  Strawberry 21 

Gregg  Bouquet 119 

How  Do  You  Uke  These? ,        68 

Marlboro  Raspberry 120 

Marshalls,  A  Nice  Dish  of 64 

Matted  Rows,  Narrow 44 

Matted  Rows,  Wide 44 

Maximus 73,  92 

Millers,  A  Dish  of 4 

Parker  Earle 25,  63 

Pease,  Brother  of  Gaudy 77 

Picker,  The  Young .    37 

Potted  Plant 34 

Potting  Runners,  Method  of 32 

Ridgeway 82 

Rows  a  Mouth  After  Planting 43 

Salems,  A  Prize  Basket  of  Prize 75 

Saunders,  A  Bouquet  of 60 

Seaford 100 

Snyder  Blackberry 123 

Strawberry  Blossom n 

Thimbleful,  A 50 

William  Belt,  A  Bunch  of 88 


PORTRAITS. 


PAGE  PAGE 

Adams,  J.  W.    . 14        Hull,  R.  J 102 

Allen,  Jr.,  W.  K 103        Ingram,  E)dw.  T 106 

Baldwin,  O.  A.  K 107  Johnson,  Sylvester    ....  105 

Barns,  W.  D 44        Kellogg,  Geo.  J 49 

Brandt,  D 103        Lovett,  J.  T 107 

Buechly,  E   M 104        Pratt,  C.  S 109 

Butler,  Geo.  S 105        Purdy,  A.  M 87 

Cone,  Edw.  W 41        Reid,  K.  W 35 

Crawford,  M 108        Root,  A.  1 15 

Dwyer,  T.  J 90        Sharp,  A.  G 41 

Farmer,  I,.  J 108        Smith,  Horace  J 104 

Farusworth,  W.  W 40        Stayman.  Dr.  J 46 

Gillin,  Robt.  H 93        Thayer,  M.  A 83 

Hale,  J.  H 13        Timbrell,  H.  S 40 

Hawkins,  J.  R 95  Willett,  Eugene  ......    23 

Hovey,  Chas.  M 106        Wright,  Charles 48 


CHAPTER   I. 


THE  BEGINNING. 

"  Let  your  light  shine." 

I  HOLD  that  it  is  right  to  tell  what  we  know  in  any 
line  of  farming,  if  our  knowledge  be  of  value  to 
others  and  will  help  them  to  success.     Now,  I 
have  been  engaged,  more  or  less,  in  strawberry  culture 
for  over  a  dozen  years,  and  have  in 
that  time  learned  a  little,  and  this 
little  I  am  ready  to  communicate  to 
my  neighbors  and  even  to  impart  to 
a  wider  circle,  wide  enough  to  take 
in  the  whole  Farm  Journal  family 
and  the  entire  remnant  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  country. 
The  only  trouble  is  I  do  not  know  it  all ;  and  yet 
it  may  be  best  that  I  do  not,  since  I  have  discovered 
that  those  folks  who  know  it  all,  are  apt  to  get  behind 
the  lighthouse  and  are  left  in  the  dark  themselves. 

Confessed,  I  do  not  know  it  all ;  yet  Harriet  knows 
some  and  Tim  knows  a  heap  ;  together  we  are  so  far 
from  a  universal  knowing  that  I  have  not  hesitated,  in 
preparing  this  book  for  publication,  to  call  on  a  large 
number  of  bright,  experienced,  enterprising,  fearless, 
obliging  men,  to  tell  what  they  have  learned  about 
berries  and  how  to  grow  them.  Nobly  they  have 
responded  to  my  call,  and  the  pages  to  follow  will  bear 
witness  to  their  wit,  their  knowledge,  their  liberality, 
their  thoroughness  and  the  kindness  and  good  will  that 


10  BIGGIE   BKRRY   BOOK. 

animates  their  hearts.  This  book  could  stand  alone 
upon  genuine  merit  as  a  treatise  on  small  fruits  with- 
out a  line  from  my  own  pen,  so  rare  and  valuable  are 
the  contributions  from  those  fine  gentlemen  who  have 
given  so  freely  of  their  knowledge  and  experience  on 
this  subject. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  many  pages  of  my 
book  will  contain  explicit  information  furnished  by 
berry  experts,  and  that  this  knowledge  is  gathered 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  in  all  latitudes  and  lon- 
gitudes, and  from  practical  men  who  know  what  they 
are  telling  about ;  and  it  is  obvious  that  a  summary  of 
the  experience  thus  brought  together  must  be  of  vastly 
more  value  to  the  one  who  would  educate  himself  in 
this  line  of  horticultural  work,  than  the  opinions  and 
writings  of  any  one  man,  whose  operations  and  obser- 
vations are  mostly  confined  to  one  farm  or  one  neigh- 
borhood, no  matter  how  smart  that  man  may  be. 

One  of  the  features  of  this  work  which  I  thought 
would  commend  itself  to  the  public  is  the  picture 
gallery,  containing  the  likenesses  of  many  skilled 
berry  growers,  most  of  whom  are  contributors,  who 
have  had  marked  success  in  their  calling  and  who  are 
honorably  known  the  country  over. 

Certainly  it  wi  1  gratify  many  readers  to  look  into 
their  honest  faces,  to  come  to  knowT  them  better,  and 
thus  appreciate  them  more. 

Another  feature  is  the  showing  of  the  berries  in 
natural  colors,  which  has  not,  to  my  knowledge,  ever 
been  attempted,  or  at  least  accomplished  before.  It 
cost  time,  money  and  infinite  pains  to  procure  accurate 
paintings  of  the  fruits,  and  to  transfer  them  to  the  pages 
of  the  book,  each  specimen  being  printed  in  eight 


THE   BEGINNING.  II 

separate  colors  in  order  to  produce  the  required  truth- 
fulness of  shading.  Of  course  most  of  the  credit  of 
success  in  this  line  must  accrue  to  the  publishers,  and 
to  them  I  freely  give  it.  My  part  was  to  point  the 
way  and  to  give  what  aid  I  could  in  obtaining  correct 
specimens  of  the  berries  during  the  fruiting  season. 
When  the  Editor  of  Farm  Journal  asked  me  to 
write  a  berry  book,  I  declined,  for  I  did  not  think  I 
could  do  it,  and  I  did  not  want  to  engage  in  the  work, 
having  more  to  do  than  I  cared  for  already  ;  and 
Harriet  thought  I  had  better  not  undertake  the  task, 
and  Tim  thought  I  would  be  foolish  to  bother  with  it ; 
but  that  persistent  Editor  took  no  notice  of  my  refusal, 
said  he  would  help  me,  said,  "  Oh,  fie,  go  ahead!  " 
said  something  about  hiding  our  light  under  a  bushel, 
and  what  a  grand  thing  the  book  would  be  ;  and  so 
here  I  am  engaged  in  the  opening  chapter  and  already 
filled  with  enthusiasm  in  the  work  and  hoping  to  soon 
fitly  accomplish  a  useful  and  worthy  task. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  STRAWBERRY. 

A   PI,EA. 

When  the  culture  of  strawberries  is  commenced  in  a  small 
and  extended  from  year  to  year,  there  need  be  no 
failures,  for  no  garden  or  farm  crop  is  more  reliable  in 
anmtal  returns. — TJM. 

BEING  the  first  fruit  to  ripen  the  strawberry  comes 
to  the  table  when  the  appetite  is  capricious,  as 
a  welcome  visitor.  So  beautiful  in  form,  color 
and  fragrance,  it  is  among  fruits  what  the  rose  is  to 
flowers.  In  flavor  so  delicious,  in  healthfulness  so 
beneficial  that  invalids  gain  strength  while  its  season 
lasts.  Strawberries  fully  ripe  and  freshly  picked  from 
the  vines  may  be  eaten  at  every  meal,  in  saucers 
heaped  high  like  pyramids,  and  nourish  the  most 
delicate  stomachs. 

The  charms  of  the  strawberry  do  not  all  end  in  the 
eating  of  it.  No  fruit  is  so  soon  produced  after  being 
planted.  It  affords  employment— pleasant,  easy  and 
profitable  for  poor  men  with  little  land  ;  for  old  men 
with  little  physical  strength ;  for  women,  boys  and  girls 
who  love  to  till  the  soil  and  delve  in  mother  earth.  So 
certain  to  grow,  equally  sure  to  sell  at  paying  prices. 
It  is  so  suited  to  all  soils,  and  its  culture  is  so  soon  and 
so  bountifully  rewarded  by  big  berries,  that  the  exercise 
and  joy  of  success  bring  with  it  health  and  a  good 
conscience. 

Note  also  the  labor  which  is  saved  to  the  family 


THE  STRAWBERRY.  13 

indoors.  No  lard,  tough  beef,  or  dried  apple  pies  to 
be  manipulated  and  toasted  in  mid-summer  over  red- 
hot  ranges.  For  the  strawberry  comes  from  the  garden 
to  the  table  in  the  most  tempting  and  presentable 
shape,  none  of  the  newer  and  sweeter  varieties  requir- 
ing sugar  or  any  other  condiments,  to  fit  them  to  grace 
the  table  of  a  king. 

In  the  list  of  enthusiastic  gentlemen  who  were 
asked  for  pointers  in  strawberry  growing  is  J.  H.  Hale, 
of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and  the  United  States  of 
America,  for  he  belongs  to  the  latter  ;  and  here  is  one 
of  the  things  he  wrote:  "  No  man  should  fool  him- 
self into  telling  his  wife  that  he 
hasn't  time  to  bother  with  such 
small  trash  as  berries,  but  will  buy 
all  the  family  wants  ;  he  may  not 
be  much  of  a  liar,  but  those  of  us 
who  have  so  often  heard  that  old 
chestnut  about  buying  all  the 
berries  the  family  wants,  know 
that  man  is  way  off.  He  never  J-  H-  HALE 

did  and  never  will  buy  one-tenth  part  as  many  berries 
as  the  family  will  consume,  if  he  will  give  them  all 
they  can  wrallow  in  right  fresh  from  the  home  garden." 

Hale  is  right ;  few  in  the  country  will  buy  berries 
when  berries  are  ripe,  and  after  they  are  gone,  of 
course  they  will  not  buy. 

The  only  just  and  true  way  for  an  honorable  and 
manly  man  is  to  grow  them,  and  let  everybody  about 
the  place  have  all  they  can  eat. 

Down  in  Massachusetts,  in  the  town  of  Spring- 
field, lives  a  good  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Adams — 
J.  W.  Adams.  Along  with  Hale  and  a  host  of  other 


14  BiGGiyK  BERRY  BOOK. 

estimable  persons,  his  portrait  will  be  found  in  this 
book,  and  his  is  such  a  face  as  would  grace  any  gallery, 
however  select.  And  he  has  joined  Hale  in  a  plea  for 
the  strawberry  in  every  garden,  submitting  an  argu- 
ment that  is  irresistible.  He  says,  "  How  many  berries 
will  the  average  farmer  buy?  Will  it  be  one  quart  a 
week  ?  "  A  housewife  was  confronted  with  the  promise 
of  her  well-to-do  husband,  that  instead  of  growing  them 
they  would  purchase  of  James  Harvey  all  she  wanted. 
At  the  end  of  the  season  she  said,  "How  many  berries 
do  you  suppose  we  bought  ?  Not  a  single  quart." 

This  forcible  question  and  answer  is  altogether  too 
common.  Farmers  who  can  grow 
with  very  little  expense,  this  most 
healthful  and  delicious  of  all  fruits, 
deny  to  themselves  and  their  fam- 
ilies the  greatest  table  luxury  which 
Providence  has  bestowed  upon  peo- 
ple of  temperate  climates,  when  a 
single  square  rod  of  ground  might 
j.  w.  ADAMS  yield  them  more  intrinsic  value 
than  an  acre  in  many  other  products. 

Strawberry  growing  is  to  many  people  a  great 
mystery,  as  the  writer  has  had  impressed  upon  him  by 
numberless  inquiries,  both  verbal  and  written.  There 
is  no  fruit  crop  so  immediately  productive,  none  which 
attaches  to  itself  so  much  enthusiasm  and  quick  reward 
for  labor  expended.  They  flourish  to  a  degree  in  all 
soils  and  in  all  temperate  climates.  The  number  of 
varieties  is  now  unlimited,  and  suited  to  all  tastes. 
When  the  Wilson's  Albany  was  the  only  berry  grown, 
on  account  of  its  acidity  many  people  discarded  the 
strawberry  from  their  tables,  who,  now  that  sweeter 


THE  STRAWBERRY.  15 

end  better  flavored  berries  have  superseded  it,  use  them 
at  every  meal. 

One  large  farmer  in  the  country  consigns  to  his  own 
table  a  peck  a  day  ;  others  provide  a  quart  for  each 
person,  and  dispense  almost  wholly  with  meat  so  long 
as  this  berry  can  be  had  in  good  condition.  A  very 
intelligent  young  lady  living  opposite,  who  has 
travelled  the  world  over,  enjoys  life  just  as  long  as 
the  supply  of  strawberries  continues  ;  but  at  other 
seasons  she  is  more  or  less  of  an  invalid.  And  yet 
there  are  too  many  who  regard  them  as  mere  luxuries, 
and  refer  you  to  pork  and  potatoes  for  nourishment 
and  substantial  sustenance  for  body  and  mind. 

I  sent  far  and  wide  the  inquiry,  "  Ought  everybody 
have  all  the  strawberries  they  want  ?  ' '  and  of  many 
responses  I  beg  to  quote  a  few : 

Certainly  they  ought,  and  every  one  with  a  twenty  foot  lot 
A.  W.  SLAYMAKER  should  grow  his  own  strawberries.  There 
are  health  and  amusement  in  it  as  well  as  profit.  Del. 

Yes,  sir,  most  emphatically.  Every- 
body ought  to  have  all  the  strawberries 
they  want.  If  they  do  not  care  to  grow 
them  they  ought  to  be  in  some  business 
so  that  they  can  afford  to  buy  them 
quart  after  quart,  morning,  noon  and 
A.  I.  ROOT  night.  Not  only  because 
they  give  enjoyment  but  because  they 
are  the  cheapest,  best  and  most  natural 
medicine  to  tone  up  the  system  that  has 
ever  been  invented.  They  are  both  vict-  A<  *•  ROOT 

uals  and  drink.  The  man  who  cannot  afford  to  give  Up  his  beer, 
tea  and  coffee,  yes,  and  tobacco  too,  when  strawberries  are 
plenty  and  cheap,  is  a  man  to  be  pitied.  O. 

GEO.  J.  KELLOGG  Yes,  and  some  for  the  neighbors  that  have 
none.  Wis. 


16  BIGGI,K  BERRY  BOOK. 

No  one  should  be  without  strawberries ;  they  are  the  first 
native  iruit  of  the  season.  Kvery  farmer  should  have  a  bed  and 
E.  W.  REID  let  his  boy  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land.  He  would 
not  care  to  go  to  town  after  the  day's  work  for  a  frolic  if  he 
could  get  all  the  strawberries  and  Jersey  cream  he  wanted.  O. 

A.  P.  SAMPSON        Yes,  yes,  yes,  yes,  yes,  yes,  yes  !  Mass. 

Yes,  by  all  means,  and  there  is  no  excuse  for  not,  as  any  one 
H.  S.  TlMBRELL  having  a  small  plot  of  ground  can  grow  them, 
and  they  are  so  cheap  in  the  market  that  all  others  can  buy  them. 

N.  Y. 

All  they  can  possibly  eat  means  health  to  many  a  poor  mortal 
with  weak  digestion.  In  all  the  world  there  is  not  a  better  tonic, 
EUGENE  WILLETT  to  say  nothing  of  the  comfort  of  straw- 
berries three  times  a  day  on  the  table,  and  filling  up  twice  or 
three  times  between  meals  from  your  own  little  patch.  N.  Y. 

Yes,  decidedly,  and  the  man  in  the  country  who  has  a  piece 
of  land,  either  owned  or  hired,  and  does  not  have  this  delightful 
T.  J.  DWYER  fruit  from  his  own  garden  on  his  table  three 
times  a  day  for  four  weeks  at  least  is  behind  the  age  ;  is  doing  an 
injury  to  himself  and  to  those  whom  God  has  placed  under  his 
care.  N.  Y. 

J.  W.  ADAMS        The  progress  of  human  events  seems  to  be  tend- 
ing in  that  fraternal  direction.  Mass. 

Better  go  without  coffee  or  tea  than  to  go  without  straw- 
WILLIAM  HOOVER  berries ;  eat  them  three  times  a  day  and 
feel  happy  and  healthy.  Col. 

J.  H.  HALE        This  is  evident,  do  not  talk  about  it,  just  act. 

Conn. 


PI,AT&  I. 


NICK    OHMRR 


II. 


BEVERI,EY  AND  SAI,EM 


CHAPTER   HI. 

WHAT   AN   ACRK   MAY   DO. 

Anyth ing  you  tell  it. — Ti  M . 

NoviCKS  in  berry  culture  will  be  surprised  to  know 
that  more  bushels  of  strawberries  can  be  grown 
on  an  acre  than  of  wheat  or  corn  and  of  pota- 
toes, but  such   is   the   fact,  as  testified   to  by  many 
experienced  growers. 

A.  M.  PURDY  One  hundred  and  fifty  to  200  bushels,  but  these 
were  exceptional  cases.  Ordinarily  75  to  100  bushels.  N.  Y. 

G.  S.  BUTLER  From  ico  to  nearly  200  bushels.  Have  known 
of  parties  growing  250  bushels.  Conn. 

I  have  never  kept  an  exact  account  of  an  acre  of  strawberries, 
but  we  have  fruited  them  in  a  small  way  at  the  rate  of  650  per 
T.  J.  DWYER  acre,  and  my  next  door  neighbor,  Mr.  Crissey, 
fruited  a  large  bed  this  year  which  yielded  at  the  rate  of  700 
bushels  per  acre,  the  season  being  dry  and  unfavorable  for  a 
yield.  N.  Y. 

W.  W.  FARNSWORTH        Our  usual  crop  is  from  100  to  120  bushels. 

O. 

W.  C.  WILSON  Dare  not  tell.  Would  be  posted  as  a  liar  from 
Maiue  to  Texas  if  I  should  tell  of  my  biggest  crop.  111. 

M.  A.  THAYfcR  On  the  Thayer  fruit  farms  we  have  raised  225 
bushels  to  the  acre.  Wis. 

GEO.  F.  BEEDE  Over  300  bushels.  Small  plots  at  the  rate  of 
500  bushels.  N.  H. 

J.  W.  ADAM'S  The  only  lot  we  measured  and  kept  any  count 
of  is  the  Crescent,  at  the  rate  of  10,600  boxes,  or  quarts,  to  the 
acre.  Mass. 

GEO.  J.  KELLOG  We  have  fruited  small  plantations  that  have 
grown  at  the  rate  of  700  bushels.  Wis. 


iS  BIGGLE  BERRY  BOOK. 

EDWARD  T.   INGRAM       We  picked  from   our   best  one-quarter 
acre  in  bushels  aiid  19  quarts.  Pa. 

One  thousand  to  17,000  quarts  to  the  acre  at  picking.  The 
DR.  J.  STAYMAN  varieties  that  will  not  yield  from  5,000  to 
10,000  quarts  to  the  acre  in  the  average  season  are  not  worth 
growing.  Kan. 

JOHN  LITTLE        Two  hundred  and  fifty  bushels,  sometimes  less. 

Can. 

I  myself  have  grown  strawberries  at  the  rate  of 
200  bushels  per  acre,  but  one  year  I  expected  300  and 
got  about  50.  In  each  case  Haverland  and  Bubach. 
Robert  H.  Gillm,  a  veteran  grower  of  my  own  state, 
sold  from  one  matted  row  of  Gandy,  323  feet  long 
find  3  feet  4  inches  wide,  in  1892,  $40  worth  of  fruit ; 
the  proceeds  of  the  same  row  in  1893  were  $50;  in 
1894,  $45,  which  is  at  the  average  rate  of  $1,340  per 
acre  per  year.  The  berries  were  very  large  and  fine 
and  sold  at  a  high  price  per  quart — from  15  to  25  cents. 


TAKE   ONE  ! 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SOII,   AND   LOCATION. 

strawberry  will  adapt  itself  to  a  great  variety 
of  soil  and  location.  It  is  grown  successfully  in 
every  state  of  the  Union,  as  it  is  prized  by  the 
people  everywhere.  Different  varieties  require  some- 
what different  conditions  of  climate  and  soil  ;  thus  one 
that  thrives  on  sandy  land  may  not  do  so  well  on  clay, 
and  certain  kinds  will  not  stand  a  hot  southern  sun, 
that  succeed  in  northern  latitudes  ;  but  I  have  thought 
best  to  take  the  testimony  of  others  on  these  points 
and  let  the  reader  have  the  benefit  thereof. 


loam  for  such  as  Crescents,  Michel's  Early  ;  heavy 
A.  M.  PURDY  loam  for  such  as  Bubach,  Haverland,  Sharp- 
less,  etc.  N.  Y. 

Any  soil  that  will  produce  a  good  crop  of  potatoes  will 
J.  W.  ADAMS  give  fair  returns  with  strawberries,  or  land 
inclined  to  be  moist  and  not  subject  to  injury  by  drought  will 
be  best.  Mass. 

If  early  bearing  is  wanted  take  an  early  variety,  set  to  sunny 
southwest  lying  land  ;  if  late  fruit,  take  a  late  variety,  set  to  east 
E.  W.  REID  or  northeast  and  allowing  the  mulch  to  remain 
as  long  as  possible.  I  have  made  a  failure  numbers  of  times 
on  both  fruit  and  plants  to  north  land,  hence  would  not  advise 
any  one  to  use  for  strawberries.  O. 

For  raising  plants  I  should  prefer  low  bottom  land  inclin- 
ing to  sand,  made  very  rich  with  manure,  but  for  raising  berries 
A.  I.  ROOT  I  would  take  upland,  turn  under  clover  sod  and 
work  in  all  the  stable  manure  I  could  get  hold  of.  There  is 
practically  no  such  thing  as  making  it  too  rich  O. 

W.  F.  ALLEN,  JR.        Strawberries  will    do  well  on  almost  any 
soil  that  will  produce  a  good  crop  of  corn.  Md. 


20  BIGGI/E  BERRY   BOOK. 

W.  D.  BARNS        Any  good  corn  land  will  grow  strawberries. 

N.  Y. 

Most  any  good  rich  soil  will  grow  strawberries,  and  sandy 
CHARLES  WRIGHT  soil  with  slope  toward  the  south  will  give 
the  earliest  berries^  whilst  a  heavy  clay  loam  produces  the  largest 
crop.  DeL 

H.  S.  TlMBRELL        For  a  good  medium  crop,  a  level  exposure 
with  good  clay  sub-soil  will  give  best  results.  N.  Y. 

GEO.  Q.  DOW        I  do  not  think  the  soil  or  location  makes  much 
difference  if  properly  prepared  and  made  fertile.  N.  H. 

The  strawberry  will  grow  in  any  soil  containing  sufficient 
EUGENE  WILLETT  fertility  and  from  which  water  can  be  kept 
by  surface  or  underdrainage,the  latter  preferred  if  not  naturally 
dry.  N.  Y. 

BENJ.  M.  SMITH        Any  kind  where  you  can  grow  a  good  crop  of 
corn  or  vegetables.  Mass. 

G.  S.  BUTLER        The  best  soil  you  have  and  located  near  a  good 
market,  if  grown  for  commercial  purposes.  Conn. 

W.  W.  FARNSWORTH        Any  location  that  is  as  free  as  possible 
from  spring  frosts  and  where  the  ground  does  not  wash.  O. 

Soil  that  has  considerable  sand  in  it  is  best.  However,  any 
good  soil  that  does  not  bake  and  become  lumpy  will  answer. 
T.  J.  DWYER  The  finest  and  largest  fruit  is  grown  on  heavy, 
black  loose  land.  Iyand  that  inclines  to  the  south  is  of  course 
best  for  the  early  varieties,  but  for  all  other  purposes  we  would 
prefer  the  plot  as  level  as  possible.  N.  Y. 

A  close,  compact,  retentive  loam  with  little  or  no  free  sand 
H.  E.  McKAY  is  best  for  solidity,  strong  color  and  setting 
qualities.  Miss. 

EDWARD  W.  CONE        Clay  will  answer  if  well  drained.          Wis. 
J.  G.  BUCHANAN        High  land  and  clay  loam.  O. 

E.  M.  BUECHLY        We   like    a    clay  loam  well    fertilized    and 
slightly  rolling  O. 

JOHN  LITTLE        Rich  loam  ;  south  for  early,  north  for  late 

Can. 


SOII,   AND    ROGATION.  21 

A  deep  rich,  moist,  sandy  loam  soil,  well  underdraiued,  is 
J.  H.  HALE  best  for  most  varieties,  although  a  few  do  better 
in  light,  sandy  soil,  while  some  others  require  a  stiff  clay. 

Conn. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

The  question  is  answered  so  well  in  the  above 
that  I  can  add  nothing  of  value.  The  point  is  brought 
out  by  several  correspondents  that  for  early  berries  a 
southern  slope  and  sandy  soil  are  most  favorable  ; 
while  for  late  berries  clayey  loam  is  better  with  a 
shady  exposure  ;  also  that  certain  varieties  do  better 
on  some  soils  than  others. 


THE   GREENVILLE 


CHAPTER  V. 


MANURING   AND   PREPARING  THE  GROUND. 


Prepare  thoroughly  and  manure  heavily . — TIM. 

WHAT  previous  preparation  should  the  ground 
have  when  strawberries  are  to  be  planted  and 
how  best  to  fertilize  ?    On  these  two  impor- 
tant questions   I   bring  in  abundant   evidence  from 
most  trustworthy  witnesses,  enough,  I  should  say,  to 
settle  them  in  the  minds  of  all  who  do  not  now  have 
some  special  contrary  knowledge  of  their  own,  inac- 
cessible to  the  majority  of  mortals.     The  first  witness 
isj.  H.  Hale. 

A  well  rotted  clover  sod  that  has  been  deeply  plowed  or 
spaded,  with  the  addition  of  subsoiling  if  it  has  a  stiff  bottom. 
After  plowing,  a  heavy  top  dressing  of  well  rotted  stable  manure 
supplemented  with  potash  in  some  form,  or  say  3,000  pounds  of 
J.  H.  HALE  fine  ground  raw  bone,  500  pounds  of  muriate  of 
potash,  and  200  pounds  each  of  tankage  and  nitrate  ol  soda  per 
acre,  all  evenly  broadcasted,  followed  by  a  thorough  pulveriza- 
tion of  the  soil  by  harrowing  and  reharrowing  about  four  times 
as  much  as  the  average  plowman  will  think  he  ought  to  Conn. 

A  one  year's  clover  sod  well  manured  and  planted  to  pota- 
toes,  and  well  tilled  one  year,  makes  one  of  the  best  preparations 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH  for  strawberries;  but  any  other  plan 
that  will  make  the  soil  reasonably  rich  and  in  good  tilth,  and 
free  from  weed  seeds,  will  answer.  O. 

W  C.  WILSON        My  plan  is  to  manure  with  barn-yard  manure, 
a  year  before,  and  grow  a  crop  of  potatoes.  111. 

WM.  D>  BARNS        Strawberries  should  follow  a  hoed  crop. 

N.  Y. 


MANURING  AND  PREPARING  THE  GROUND. 


Plant  on  land  that  has  had  clover  and  one  corn  crop  grown. 
After  the  clover  manure  can  be  best  applied  in  the  shape  of  bone 
A  W«  SLAYMAKER  and  potash,  as  they  will  not  bring  such  a 
crop  of  weeds.  Del. 

A  potato  field  covered  with  manure  soon  after  the  potatoes 
are  dug  and  plowed  at  once,  having  the  furrow  set  on  edge.  If 
E.  W,  REID  clay  soil,  plow  again  in  early  spring,  as  it  will  run 
together  ;  but  if  sandy,  work  with  cultivator  and  apply  about 
fifteen  to  twenty  tons  per  acre  of  good  manure  before  the  culti- 
vator is  put  to  work  O 

Our  ground  planted  this  spring  was 
treated  a  year  ago  last  winter  to  about 
one  carload  of  manure  to  the  acre. 
About  June  ist,  this,  with  a  heavy  crop 
of  clover,  was  plowed  and  planted  to 
EUGENE  WILLETT  potatoes,  kept  clean 
and  free  from  weeds  during  the  sum- 
mer. Had  we  considered  it  lacking  in 
fertility  then,  should  have  applied  from 
300  to  600  pounds  of  some  commercial 
fertilizer  containing  more  or  less  potash, 
usually  the  more  potash  the  better, 

N   Y 


EUGENE   WILLETT 


If  stable  manure  is  used  it  should  be  piled  up  a  year  previous 
S.  W.  GILBERT  and  pitched  over  a  few  times  to  kill  all  weed 
and  grass  seeds.  Mo. 

The  ground  can  hardly  be  made  too  rich,  but  should  have 
been  cultivated  with  corn  or  some  other  hoed  crop  for  a  year  or 
two  years,  if  the  white  grub  abounds.  Any  system  by  which  a 
large  quantity  of  stable  manure  can  be  worked  into  the  soil  and 
well  pulverized  and  made  light,  will  be  of  advantage  in  setting 
J.  W.  ADAMS  and  after  cultivation.  Where  barn-yard  manure 
cannot  be  readily  applied,  equally  favorable  results  have  followed 
the  use  of  commercial  fertilizers,  ground  bone,  superphosphate 
and  ashes.  Our  foreman  prefers  superphosphate  to  any  other 
dressing.  This  he  applies  in  small  quantities  before  setting  the 
plants,  and  every  ten  days  during  the  growing  season  of  June, 
July  and  August.  Mass. 


24  BIGGI/E  BERRY   BOOK. 

HORACE  J.  SMITH        If  the  manure  is  mostly  green,  plow  in  a 
good  part  of  it,  and  do  not  put  so  much  in  on  top.  Wis. 

The  ground  should  be  manured  a  year  before,  and  cultivated 
E.  M.  BUECHLY  in  some  hoed  crop,  thoroughly  killing  all 
weed  germs,  and  thus  saving  much  labor  in  keeping  the  bed 
clean.  O. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

Nearly  all  wisely  recommend  preparing  the  ground 
a  year  or  two  before  the  strawberries  are  to  be  planted 
by  cultivating  to  hoed  crops  and  then  getting  the  soil 
mellow  and  the  weed  seeds  sprouted  and  out  of  the 
way.  Some  recommend  barn-yard  manure,  while 
others  prefer  some  commercial  fertilizer  ;  but  I  have 
no  doubt  it  is  best  to  use  both ;  but  the  stable  manure 
had  better  be  thoroughly  rotted,  and  should  have  been 
well  heated  and  several  times  turned,  so  that  the  hay 
and  weed  seeds  contained  in  it  will  have  germinated. 
However,  I  do  not  see  how,  if  green  manure  be  used 
and  plowed  under  as  much  as  four  or  five  inches,  the 
weeds  can  sprout  and  grow  to  do  mischief.  This  hint  I 
get  from  Horace  J.  Smith,  of  Green  Bay,  Wis. 

Several  recommend  turning  down  a  clover  sod. 
Can  anybody  tell  what  a  clover  sod  is  not  good  for  ? 
Hale  recommends  perfect  harrowing  and  a  fearful  dose 
of  fertilizers,  and  I  guess  the  more  the  merrier.  He 
might  have  added  a  word  in  favor  of  that  splendid 
implement,  the  Acme  harrow.  My  plan  is  to  apply 
fertilizers  after  plowing,  and  frequently  through  the 
fruit  season,  along  the  rows,  using  a  two-row  distrib- 
uter made  by  Spangler,  York,  Pa.  Little  and  often 
is  a  good  motto  in  the  application  of  fertilizers  to  the 


MANURING   AND   PREPARING  THE  GROUND         25 

strawberry  bed.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  use  fertilizers  as 
above,  the  first  season,  then  with  a  thick  mulch  of 
good  horse  stable  manure,  well  freed  from  the  seeds 
of  obnoxious  plants,  put  on  in  the  early  winter.  I  do 
not  often  fail  in  getting  a  fine  crop  of  berries,  unless 
something  unforeseen  occur. 


A  BOX  OF  BEAUTIFUL  PARKER  EARLES 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PLANTING. 

Never  set  out  a  feeble  plant. — TIM. 

I  HAVE  found  the  Aspinwall  potato  planter,  with  the 
ridgers  on,  a  very  valuable  implement  for  striking 
out  for  the  strawberry  rows.     It  can  be  made  to 
ridge  up  slightly,  which  is  right,  and  it  deposits  fertili- 
zer in  the  row  where  needed  for  the  young  plants. 
Let  the  roller  follow,  and  then  draw  a  straight  line 
with  a  garden  rope,  press  the  rope  in  with  the  feet 
for  a  mark,  or  set  the  plants  along  the  rope.     See  to 
it  that  all   feeble  plants  are  thrown  out  and  all   old 
plants. 

The  color  of  the  roots  is  a  distinguishing  mark 
of  old  plants.  Such  plants  are  worthless,  and  if  any 
are  discovered  in  packages  sent  from  a  nursery,  they 
should  be  thrown  away  ;  it  is  useless  to  set  them. 

A  special  trowel.  Fig.  I,  flat  like  a 
mason's  trowel,  but  wide  and  full  at  the 
point,  with  extra  large  handle,  is  the  best 
tool  to  use  for  setting.  Let  a  boy  go 
ahead  and  drop. 

Be  careful  not  to  set  too 
deeply  as  in  Fig.  2,  or  too 
shallow  as  in  Fig.  3,  and  do 
not  bunch  the  roots  as  in  Fig.  4,  but  see 
that  every  one  goes  in  like  Fig.  5.  Fl£-  2 

Above  all,  pinch  the  earth  very  hard  against  the 
roots  of  the  plant,  and  this  may  be  done  with  the  toe 


PLANTING.  27 

of  the  boot,  afterwards  scraping  some 
loose  earth  around  the  plant  with  the 
trowel  and  fingers,  to  prevent  the  earth 
baking. 

To   ascertain  how  many  plants  are 
required  for  an  acre,  multiply  the  dis-          Fi&-  3 
tance  apart  of  the  rows  in  feet  by  the  distance  apart 
of  the  plants  in  the  rows,  and  divide  the  product  into 
43,560.    Thus,  if  the  rows  are  four  feet  apart  and  the 
plants  two  feet,  it  will  take  5,445  to  plant  an  acre. 

A  spading  fork  or  small  sized  potato  hook  are  two 
good  implements  for  taking  up  plants  for  setting. 
A  trowel  is  too  slow.  Rake  the  beds  with  a  good  steel 
rake  before  digging,  which  takes  off  most  of  the  old 
runners  and  leaves  the  plants  in  good 
condition  for  cleaning. 

If  the  plants  are  in  plant  beds  dig  up 
the  whole  row,  throwing  out  the  old 
plants.  If  plants  are  to  be  taken  from  a 

Fig.  4          fraiting  bed  dig  from  the  side  of  the  rows. 

As  fast  as  shaken  from  the  soil  have  men  and  boys 
gather  them  up,  holding  the  plants  in  the  left  hand. 
Crown  of  the  plants  as  near  even  as  possible,  and 
when  the  hand  is  full  trim  off  all  runners  and  lay  in  a 
handle  basket,  roots  straight,  and  all  one  way. 

Take   to   the  packing  house.      Clean  and  bunch 
them  and  dip  the  roots  in  water,  and  if  to 
be  shipped,  pack  in  moss  and  forward  as 
soon  as  possible.      If  to  be  set  out  at 
home,  put  them  in  the  cellar  for  twenty- 
four  hours   before  planting.       The   tip 
ends  of  the  roots  are  cut  off  just  before    ^ 
setting.  "pig.  5' 


28  BIGGI,E  BERRY   BOOK. 

For  summer  planting  take  up  the  plants  with  dirt 
adhering. 

To  grow  strawberries  successfully,  beginners  should 
order  their  plants  very  early  in  the  spring.  If  a 
dozen,  thirty  or  a  hundred  only  are  wanted,  they  can 
be  sent  by  mail  free  of  cost.  Five  hundred,  or  more, 
should  go  by  express.  If  ordered  early  in  April  the 
nurserymen  will  send  them  as  soon  as  the  ground 
is  fit  to  plant  them. 

When  plants  are  received  by  mail  or  express 
from  a  distance  they  should  be  opened  at  once  and 
the  roots  should' be  dipped  in  water.  If  the  ground  is 
not  ready  for  them,  break  open  the  bunches,  spread 
out  the  roots,  and  pack  them  closely  together,  so  it 
will  be  impossible  for  the  roots  to  dry  out. 


GETTING     ACQUAINTED 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  PLANTING    SEASON. 

For  family  beds   fall  or  spring ;  for  market  only  in  the 
spring.  — PUR  D  Y  . 

A"T"AHE  time  of  year  to  set  out  the  strawberry  bed 
JL      will  be  considered  in  this  chapter,  and  here  I 
offer  the  concentrated  wisdom  of  a  legion  of 
practical  men. 

Early  spring  every  time.  Every  day's  delay  means  a  loss  in 
J.  H.  HALE  vigor  of  plant  growth  the  fruiting  season,  as,  for 
the  most  perfect  fruitage,  we  must  have  the  best  developed 
plants.  Conn. 

H.  S.  TIMBRELL  Early  in  the  spring  is  the  best  time.  N.  Y, 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH  April  or  early  May  in  this  latitude.  O. 
G.  S.  BUTLER  Very  early  spring.  Conn. 

EUGENE  WlLLETT  Spring  will  always  be  found  most  satisfac- 
tory. N.  Y. 

All  planting  should  be  done  medium  early,  say  late  in  March 
CHARLES  WRIGHT  or  during  April.  If  planted  before  frost 
in  the  fall  the  ground  is  apt  to  be  heaved  ;  if  planted  too  late  in 
the  spring  the  heat  soon  kills  them.  Del. 

A  strawberry  bed  for  market  should  be  set  in  the  spring  as 
WM.  D.  BARNS  soon  as  possible  after  the  ground  is  fit  to  work 
and  men  and  teams  can  be  employed.  N.  Y. 

BENJ.  BUCKMAN  As  early  in  the  spring  as  the  ground  is  in 
good  condition  to  work.  111. 

As  a  general  thing  early  in  the  spring,  although  market 
gardeners  and  some  other  people  find  it  very  convenient  to  plant 
A.  I.  ROOT  them  at  any  time  of  the  summer  that  crops  can 
be  taken  off  the  ground.  The  earlier  this  summer  planting  is 
done  the  better.  O. 


30  BIGGIE  BERRY  BOOK. 

GEORGE  F.  BEEDE  Early  in  the  spring.  N.  K. 

EDWIN  BEEKMAN  In  New  Jersey  the  first  week  of  April.  N.  J. 

The  month  of  April  is  the  best  one  month  of  the  year  in 
J,  W.  ADAMS  which  to  transplant  strawberry  plants,  especi- 
ally for  beginners.  Mass. 
SAMUEL  MILLER  In  this  latitude  the  first  of  March.  Mo. 

There  are  two  objections  to  late  setting.  First,  plants  past 
EDWARD  W.  CONE  full  bloom  are  not  in  condition  to  be  moved 
successfully.  Second,  there  is  always  danger  of  failure  in  case 
an  early  drought  should  prevail.  Wis. 

GEORGE  J,  KELLOGG  Early  in  the  spring.  Planting  in 
August  or  later  is  not  profitable  in  the  north.  Wis. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

These  people  plainly  focus  early  spring  as  the  best 
period  for  setting  out  a  strawberry  bed,  just  as  early 
as  the  work  can  possibly  be  done.  To  accomplish 
this,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  procure  the  plants 
early,  which  cannot  always  be  done  unless  provision 
be  made  for  it  in  time.  It  is  well,  therefore,  if  one 
has  to  send  to  a  nursery  for  plants,  to  apply  to  one 
who  makes  a  point  of  having  plants  at  the  proper 
time ;  or,  if  one  grows  his  own  plants,  as  he  should, 
let  it  be  in  a  southern  exposure,  in  light  soil,  and  take 
the  mulch  off  early,  so  the  plants  can  get  a  start. 

But  is  early  spring  the  only  good  time  to  set  out  a 
strawberry  bed?  Well,  on  this  point,  as  on  many 
others,  it  will  not  do  to  be  positive,  until  we  probe 
the  question  to  the  bottom.  My  own  judgment  is 
that  the  advice  given  in  this  chapter  is  good  and  will 
do  to  follow,  at  least  by  beginners,  but  let  the  reader 
proceed  to  the  next  chapter,  and  read  what  our  good 
friend  Adams  says  about  summer  planting. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

SUMMER   PLANTING. 
Have  had  good  success  in  August. — A.NDREW  WILSON. 

So  much  has  been  said  against  the  transplanting  of 
strawberries  at   any    season  than    spring,    says 
Mr.  Adams,  that  I  purpose  to  show  a  more  per- 
fect way  for  many  people,  if  not  for  all,  and  to  remove 
from  farmers  especially  their  threadbare  maxim  that 
"  It's  cheaper  to  buy  than  to  bother  to  grow  'em." 

If  a  person  wishes  to  begin  or  to  try  new  varieties, 
it  is  advisable  for  him  to  get  his  plants  as  early  in  the 
spring  as  it  will  be  safe  to  sow  early  pea  seed,  and 
plant  them  in  a  row  where  they  will  have  room  to 
make  runners.  When  the  blossoms  appear  they  should 
all  be  removed.  The  ground  about  the  plants  should 
be  kept  mellow  by  that  best  single  tool — a  fine  tooth 
wooden  rake.  Bncourage  early  runners  to  take  root 
by  fastening  them  to  the  ground  with  hooks  or  stones 
or  clods  of  earth,  that  they  may  not  blow  about. 

As  early  in  August  as  strong  young  plants  can  be 
had,  without  destroying  too  many  younger  runners 
not  yet  rooted  on  a  belt  of  land  which  you  are  sup- 
posed to  have  already  prepared  by  deep  plowing  and 
enriching,  draw  a  heavy  line  where  you  wish  to  plant 
the  first  row.  With  a  flat  wheel  or  with  a  common 
hoe  you  can  press  this  line  into  the  soil,  when  it  can 
be  removed  altogether.  By  this  j  j  j  j  |  i — i — 
simple  method  your  rows  will  be 
perfectly  straight. 


A    marker   made  in  the   form 


I     I 


I     I 


32  BIGGIE  BERRY  BOOK. 

of  a  rake  with  fine  teeth  fifteen  inches  apart,  can  be 
drawn  first  lengthwise  and  then  crosswise,  keeping 
the  end  tooth  in  the  line  already  imbedded  in  the 
soil.  Where  the  lines  cross  will  be  the  points  at 
which  plants  are  to  be  set,  and  no  runners  must  be 
permitted  to  grow. 

If  more  than  five  rows  are  wanted  it  will  be  for  the 
convenience  of  cultivators  and  pickers  to  omit  the 
sixth  row  for  a  path,  and  then  as  the  arithmetics  would 
say,  proceed  as  before. 

It  is  very  important  that  these  young  plants  at  this 
season  should  be  removed  without  cutting  or  even  dis- 
turbing the  roots.  Small  pots  are  often  used  into 
which  the  roots  are  induced  to  grow  and  this  method 
is  to  be  commended  if  properly  done.  They  must 
not  be  allowed  to  remain  until  they  are  too  compactly 
rooted,  that  is,  pot-bound. 

The  picture  represents 
method  of  potting  runners. 
When  we  ship  them  to  a 
distance,  in  order  to  protect 
the  young  roots,  we  send  in  the  pots  instead  of 
knocking  them  out  and  wrapping  the  balls  of  earth  in 
papers. 

In  our  own  garden,  however,  our  land  being  some- 
what inclined  to  clay,  we  can  take  up  the  plants  with 
a  round  trowel  with  a  lump  of  soil  adhering  and  thus 
remove  them  to  their  new  quarters  without  loss. 
Their  growth  will  not  in  the  least  be  retarded.  The 
best  crop  we  have  ever  produced  was  from  plants  set 
out  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  August,  the  plat  being 
250  feet  long  and  five  rows  wide.  It  was  a  trial  bed 
with  numerous  varieties,  but  the  product  of  one  end 


PI, ATE  III. 


JUCUNDA   IMPROVED 


PI, ATE  IV. 


CLYDE 


PARKER  EARLE 

OR 

HAVILAND 


SUMMER   PLANTING.  33 

was  measured  and  proved  to  be  at  the  rate  of  10,500 
baskets  per  acre,  all  grown  within  ten  months  from 
time  of  setting.  Had  they  been  transplanted  with 
less  care,  the  value  of  the  crops  would  have  been  of 
little  account. 

When  planted  in  the  spring  it  requires  the  best 
part  of  two  seasons  to  perfect  a  large  yield,  thus  losing 
the  use  of  the  land  for  one  entire  season  and  adding 
much  to  the  labor  for  so  much  longer  a  period ;  for 
the  cost  of  cultivating  so  short  a  time  in  hills  is  trifling 
compared  with  hoeing  and  weeding  where  runners 
are  permitted  to  grow. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

I  desire  to  add  my  testimony  to  the  advantage  of 
growing  berries  by  this  plan,  for  it  is  the  method  of 
Ezra  Bell,  one  of  the  most  successful  growers  of  fine 
strawberries  to  be  found  in  the  model  State  of  New 
Jersey.  The  Ezra  Bell  berries,  for  size,  appearance 
and  quality  have  long  been  fatuous  in  the  Philadelphia 
markets. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


SUMMER  PLANTING. 
(Continued.) 

Time  may  be  saved  by  summer  planting  of  rare 
varieties. — TIM. 

THIS  subject  is  partially  treated  in  the  previous 
chapter,  but  I  think  it  best  to  give  it  a  little 
more  ventilation,  and  present  the  views  of 
several  growers  on  layer  and  potted 
plants  for  late  summer  and  fall  set- 
ting. 

The  illustration  represents  a  nice 
potted  plant,  ready  to  be  set  out  in 
late  summer.  Such  can  be  had  of  any 
plant  nurseryman,  and  will  make  strong  bearing 
plants  the  following  June. 

A.  M.  PURDY        My  experience    is,  nothing    is    gained  by  fall 
planting,  considering  the  extra  expense  and  work.  N.  Y. 

Potted  plants  I  have  not  practiced  with,  but  depend  on  layers 
SAM'l  MILLER  well  rooted,  and  if  these  are  set  at  any  time 
before  the  middle  of  October,  can  bear  a  fair  crop  of  fruit  the 
following  year.  Mo. 

Layer  plants,  if  properly  set  at  a  favorable  time,  do  as  well 
G.  S.  BUTLER  as  potted,  but  for  dry  weather  the  latter  are 
safest.  The  advantage  of  fall  setting  of  plants  is  time  gained 
in  early  spring.  Conn. 

Potted  plants  will  only  give  good  results  when  set  out  just 
A.  W.  SLAYMAKER  at  the  right  time  or  before  they  have 
become  cramped  in  the  pots.  Fall  planting  is  not  satisfactory 
fcere.  Del. 


SUMMER  PLANTING. 


35 


We  get  good  results  from  both  layer  and  potted  plants. 
T-  J.  DWYER  Layer  plants  can  be  planted  with  safety  in  Sep- 
tember, October,  and  the  first  half  of  November.  N.  Y. 

Potted  plants  I  have  given  up  and  do  not  bother  with. 
GEO.  Q.  Dow  Would  just  as  soon  have  strong  layer  plants 
such  as  I  grow.  N.  H. 

I  would  rather  have  good  layer  plants  than  potted  plants  at 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  the  same  price  at  a  dry  time.  The  roots  of  a 
potted  plant  do  not  go  deep  enough  to  get  moisture.  N.  Y. 

I  prefer  layer  plants,  if  to  be  set  in  the  fall.  Potted  plants 
M.  A.  THAYER  are  not  worth  the  difference  in  price.  Layer 
grow  just  as  well,  and  bear  just  as  well.  Wis. 

Our  seasons  are  too  short  and  too  cold  to  practice  fall  set- 
A.  G.  SHARP  ting,  and  I  want  a  full  season  or  more  to  get 
good  strong  plants.  Mass. 

BENJ.  BUCKMAN        Have  never  set  potted  plants ;  do  not  believe 
in  fall  setting  here.  111. 


There  is  nothing  but  time  saved  in  fall 
setting,  and  I  would  not  recommend  it 
for  this  section.  We  do  much  setting  in 
the  fall,  but  it  is  expensive,  and  we  do  it 
E.  W.  REID  to  save  time,  nothing  else 
is  gained.  Pot  grown  plants  are  not 
profitable  for  fruit  growers,  they  are  too 
costly,  but  are  well  enough  when  one 
wants  a  bed  for  home  use,  or  to  get  a  set 
for  some  new  variety.  O. 


E.  w.  REID 


I  prefer  layer  plants,  they  are  more  thrifty  in  my  soil  than 
potted  ones  and  are  sure  to  live.  I  never  could  get  much  of  a 
crop  of  fruit  from  fall  set.  After  the  first  frost,  plants  will  not 
GEO.  F.  BEEDE  grow  much ;  this  often  happens  in  Septem- 
ber. A  few  varieties  will  bear  about  one-fourth  of  a  full  crop 
and  plants  are  just  up  for  next  season  as  much  as  spring  set 
plants.  N.  H. 

R.  D.  McGEEHAN        Potted  plants  and  fall  setting  do  not  pay. 
Have  quit  it  entirely.  la 


36  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

I  do  not  consider  potted  plants  any  better  than  layer.  If 
J.  G.  BUCHANAN  not  planted  exactly  at  the  right  time  they 
are  worthless.  O. 

J.  H.  HALE        We  have  put  little  faith  in  potted  plants  and  fall 
setting  on  a  large  scale.    It  can  be  done  in  a  small  way.      Conn. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

Very  interesting  details  of  the  best  method  of 
summer  planting  have  already  been  given  by  Mr. 
Adams,  and  I  especially  direct  your  attention  to  his 
plan  for  obtaining  early  layer  plants  discussed  therein. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  many  of  the  experts  con- 
demn potted  plants  and  say  they  have  better  results 
with  layers  for  fall  planting.  If  one  wishes  to  test 
new  varieties  that  were  not  obtainable  the  spring 
before,  he  may  be  wise  in  buying  plants  in  the  fall 
but  not  for  growing  fruit  for  market. 

Matthew  Crawford  says,  that  the  soil  for  fall  set 
plants  should  be  rich,  so  that  their  roots  may  find 
what  they  need  near  by,  for  they  have  not  time  to  go 
far  after  it.  It  is  well  to  prepare  the  plat  a  week  or 
two  in  advance,  so  as  to  let  the  ground  get  settled. 
And  it  is  very  important  that  the  crown  of  the  plant 
should  not  be  covered. 

If  it  is  desired  to  test  a  new  variety,  the  fall  is  the 
best  time  to  plant  it,  for  the  reason  that  it  will  bear  the 
next  season,  and  enable  one  to  decide  as  to  its  value 
and  give  ample  time  to  greatly  increase  the  stock. 

The  later  the  work  is  done  the  closer  should  plants 
be  set  to  each  other,  so  that  they  may  fill  the  row 


SUMMER  PLANTING. 


37 


with  roots  and  shade  the  surface  with  their  leaves.  If 
set  twelve  inches  apart  in  the  row  in  July,  ten  inches 
will  be  enough  in  August,  eight  in  September,  and 
six  in  October.  The  sun  should  never  be  allowed  to 
shine  on  bare  ground  between  plants  in  the  row  dur- 
ing the  winter  or  early  spring. 

Southern  people  who  wish  to  buy  northern  grown 
plants  should  do  it  late  in  the  fall.  They  cannot  get 
them  early  enough  in  the  spring,  and  their  summer 
and  early  fall  are  too  hot  for  plants  grown  in  the  north. 


THE   YOUNG   PICKER 


CHAPTER  X. 

SAVING   LABOR. 

Never  let  the  weeds  get  a  start. — TIM. 

NOT  only  does  it  take  brain  work  to  grow  straw- 
berries successfully,  but  it  requires  hand  work 
as  well.     But  in  this,  as  in  most  operations  of 
the  farm,  the  brains  can  save  the  hands  a  heap  of 


Planet  Jr.  Horse  Cultivator  at  work 

drudgery.      Any  one  who  does  not  possess  a  well- 
organized  brain  had  better  not  undertake  berry  culture, 


SAVING  LABOR. 


39 


Planet  Jr.  Narrow  Tooth  Cultivator 


for  he  will  have  so  much  to  do  with  his  hands  in 
order  to  obtain  a  compensatory  crop,  that  his  efforts 

will  most  likely  re- 
sult in  failure.  He 
will  soon  become  dis- 
gusted and  declare 
that  it  does  not  pay 
to  bother  with  grow- 
ing strawberries.  It 
is  not  much  bother 
to  the  one  who  has  a 
good  share  of  gump- 
tion, a  little  spunk, 
was  not  born  tired, 
and  has  a  genuine  love  for  the  fruit  after  it  is  grown. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  Planet  Jr.  narrow  twelve 
tooth  Cultivator  is  generally  approved  as  the  correct 
implement  in  the  strawberry  bed;  nothing  could  be 
better  ;  nothing  else  so  good ;  so  I  have  taken  pains  to 
give  it  here  and  to  show  the  clean  rows  it  leaves  behind. 
The  teeth  are  all  adjustable 
and  those  nearest  the  row 
may  be  turned  backward,  en- 
abling the  user  to  run  shallow 
and  avoid  tearing  the  roots  of 
the  plants  ;  every  berry  grower 
must  have  this  tool.  I  also 
show  another  essential  imple- 
ment for  those  who  have  onl} 
a  garden  bed,  this  is  made  by  the  Allen  firm  and  is 
called  the  two  wheel  hand  cultivator.  By  pushing  this 
along  the  rows  frequently  all  wreeds  are  kept  down, 
the  ground  kept  mellow,  and  hand  hoeing  lessened. 


Two  Wheel  Hand 
Cultivator 


BIGGIE  BERRY   BOOK. 


Again  I  call  on  our  good  friends  to  tell  us  how  to 
save  hand  hoeing  in  strawberry  culture,  and  how  the 
heavy  end  of  the  labor  can  be  done  by  horse  power. 

Destroy  as  many  weeds  as  possible  the 
year  before  after  the  potato  crop.  Culti- 
vate clo,se  and  shallow  both  ways  until  the 
runners  are  set  and  then  only  one  way. 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH  Use  Planet  Jr. 
with  sweeps  one  time  and  scraping  shovels 

:  to  scrape  away  from  the  plants  the  next 
time,  and  harrow  often  to  prevent  the 

:,  weeds  getting  too  large.  O. 

On  my  soil  it  is  not  possible  to  dis- 

W.  W.    FARNSWORTH    penge  with  hand  hoeing       The   planet  Jr 

EUGENE  WILLETT  Cultivator  and  a  light  thin  bladed  hoe  in  the 
hands  of  an  active  man  are  the  surest,  safest,  and,  in  the  end, 
quickest  way  I  have  ever  found.  N.  Y. 

I  never  could  get  along  without  con- 
siderable hand  hoeing.  For  cleaning  out 
old  beds  I  use  Boss  Plow  that  has  a  mold- 
board  about  as  large  as  one's  hand,  which 
H.  S.  TlMBRELL  leaves  the  ground  level 
and  all  the  rubbish  on  top,  and  I  use  a  fine 
tooth  cultivator  which  cleans  them  out  of 
the  row  which  will  have  to  be  hand  hoed. 

N.  Y 

W.  C.  WILSON       Planet  Jr.  Cultivator  and 
Horse  Harrow  supplemented  by  hand  hoe. 

111. 

The  best  way  to  save  hand  hoeing  is  to  use  cultivators  every 
T.  J.  DWYER  ten  days  or  so.  A  careful  man,  steady  horse  and 
proper  tools  are  very  essential  requirements  in  the  care  of  straw- 
berries. We  use  the  Planet  Jr.  Cultivator.  N.  Y. 

GEORGE  Q.  Dow  Use  a  fine  tooth  cultivator.  The  Planet  Jr. 
people  make  one  with  lots  of  fine  teeth.  N.  H. 

M.  A.  THAYER        Cultivate  strawberries  both  ways  just  after  set- 


H.    S.    TlMBRELL 


SAVING   LABOR. 


To  save  hand  hoeing,  plant  in  rows  that  are  3%  x  2%  or  2% 
feet  and  cultivate  both  ways  until  plants  commence  to  make 
W.  F.  ALLEN,  JR.  considerable  runners  and  then  cultivate  onl> 
the  wide  way.  By  this  method  only  one  or  two  hoeiugs  will  be 
necessary.  Md. 

Use  Planet  Jr.  eleven  tooth  Harrow- 
Cultivator,  teeth  fine  ;  does  not  throw  dirt 
A.  G.  SHARP  on  the  plant  and  can  be 
run  very  close  This  harrow  is  changeable 
in  width  and  can  be  changed  while  in 
motion.  Mass. 

Plant  in  rows  four  feet  apart.    As  fast 
as  the  runners  are  large  enough  to  take 
root  let  them  run  in  the  rows  to  the  right 
and  left  so  as  to  stand  in  a  narrow  line, 
A.  G.  SHARP          A.  I.  ROOT        then  you  can  get  close  up 
to  the  plant  with  the  cultivator.    I  do  not  know  of  any  tools 
better  than  the  Planet  Jr.  fine  tooth  ;  this  can  be  run  close  up  to 
the  plant  and  not  injure  the  leaves.  O. 

Cultivating  should  be  done  soon  after  rains  when  the  ground 
is  soft.  A  special  trowel  for  setting -plants  like  a  mason's  trowel, 
GEORGE  F.  BEEDE  wider  and  full  at  the  point  with  extra  large 
handle  is  the  best  tool  for  setting.  A  toothed  Sunnyside  hoe  is 
the  tool  for  hand  work.  I  enclose  cut  of  trowel.  N.  H. 

I  am  prejudiced  in  favor  of  the  good 
old  hand  hoeing.  Absolutely  clean  cul- 
ture is  not  possible  without  it.  By  mark- 
EDW.  W.  CONE  ing  ground  as  for  corn 
and  planting  so  as  to  admit  of  cultiva- 
tion both  ways,  hand  work  may  be 
lessened  considerably.  Wis. 

Early  runners  make  the  best  plants  ; 
GEO  J.  KELLOGG  cut  off  the  late 
runners.  Wis.  EDW.  W,  CONE 

We  use  one  heavy  fine  tooth  cultivator  and  a  lighter  one 
HORACE  J.  SMITH  with  fourteen  teeth.  There  will  be  still 
some  hoeing  to  do  as  well  as  weeding,  which  later,  as  well  as 
the  setting  of  runners,  we  do  with  a  crew  of  small  boys.  Wis 


42  BIGGIE  BERRY   BOOK. 

BENJ.  BUCKMAN        Cultivators  should  have  many  teeth  and  run 
shallow.  HI. 

WM.  JACKSON  I  plant  in  check  rows  and  use  Planet  Jr.  Culti- 
vator, running  both  ways,  as  long  in  the  summer  as  I  can.  111. 
The  best  tool  to  save  hand  hoeing  is  the  Planet  Jr.  Horse 
WM.  HOOVER  Cultivator.  We  use  one  and  a  quarter  inch 
steels  and  can  cultivate  within  one  inch  of  the  row.  Col. 

J.  R.  HAWKINS          The  best  hand  hoe  is  made  about  two  and  a 
half  or  three  inches  wide,  attached  to  an  ordinary  handle.  N.  Y. 

REMARKS. 

When  I  go  out  to  work  in  the  berry  patch  after 
Allen's  Cultivator  has  done  all  it  can,  I  take  a  hoe  like 
this,  and  am  sure  to  keep  it  sharp. 
^  The  blade  is  three  inches  wide.  I 
generally  work  this  by  proxy  and 
find  it  easier  that  way  and  more  effective. 

Here  you  have  it :  Plant  in  rows  both  ways  ;  use 
Planet  Jr.  Cultivator,  going  over  the  ground  once  a 
week,  killing  weeds  when  they  are  young ;  get  the 
ground  free  from  weed  seeds  by  previous  clean  culti- 
vation in  hoed  crops  ;  apply  no  fresh  manure  contain- 
ing weed  seeds.  After  the  runners  are  spotted  out  in 
July  and  August,  use  hand  hoe  among  the  plants  when 
necessary,  keep  the  ground  mellow,  and  let  no  weeds 
get  a  start ;  give  abundant  space  to  each  plant,  and 
fertilize  liberally,  so  you  will  not  have  small  berries  to 
pick. 

When  the  runners  begin  to  grow  in  June  or  July, 
the  first  ones  should  be  cut  off,  so  as  to  allow  the 
plant  to  acquire  strength.  Later  it  will  send  out  new 
runners  on  all  sides  instead  of  on  one  side. 

Attend  to  these  things,  and  you  will  find  it  is  not 
such  a  serious  matter  to  grow  plenty  of  strawberries. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


DISTANCE   APART. 


Call  all  plants  from  late  runners  weeds. — TIM. 

I  CONSIDER  this  one  of  the  most  important  chapters 
in  the  book,  for  strawberry  culture  depends  largely 
on  the  distance  the  plants  stand  from  each  other 
at  fruiting  time.  Most  growers  have  too  many  plants 
on  the  ground,  which  insures  small  berries,  low  prices 
for  those  marketed,  much  extra  labor  in  picking  and 
general  failure.  It  is  not  so  important  how  closely 
the  rows  or  plants  are  as  first  set  out,  but  how  thickly 
the  plants  are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  matted  rows  is 
an  essential  consideration,  which  does  not  receive  the 
attention  that  it  deserves. 


Rows  a  Month  After 
Planting 


Hills  at  Bearing 


I  will  illustrate  the  matted  row  and  hill  systems 
of  culture.  Some  growers  prefer  the  wide  matted 
row,  some  the  narrow ;  some  prefer  to  keep  the 
plants  in  hills,  cutting  off  all  runners.  For  myself 
I  like  best  the  wide  matted  row,  for  I  believe  if  the 
plants  are  not  allowed  to  become  too  thickly  matted, 
they  do  better  this  way.  Strawberries  must  be  shaded 
from  the  sun,  they  color  better,  and  hold  out  better 


44  BIGGIE  BERRY   BOOK. 

through  a  hot  spell,  which  is  sure  to  come,  and  this 
condition  is  better  obtained  than  in  hills  or  narrow 
rows. 


Wide  Matted  Rows  Narrow  Matted  Rows 

Here  is  what  the  experts  say  about  distance  apart 
for  best  results  : 

SAM'L  MILLER        Rows  three  and  a  half  feet  apart  and  the  plants 
eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Mo. 

Vigorous  varieties  set  four  feet  and  two  feet  ia  the  row.  Set 
GEO.  F.  BEEDE  well  growing  varieties  fifteen  inches  in  the 
row  ;  have  plants  thick  or  thin,  as  suits  the  variety.  N.  H. 

Rows  four  feet  apart  and  plants  two  feet  apart  in  the  row ; 
A.  I.  ROOT  thin  before  freezing  weather.  I  would  thin  the 
plants  out  so  they  are  about  six  inches  apart  from  centre  to 
centre.  O. 

Three  and  a  half  feet  is  the  proper 
distance  for  the  rows,  and  fifteen  inches 
in  the  rows.  Varieties  like  Michel's 
WM.  D.  BARNS  Early  and  Crescents, 
that  throw  out  a  great  many  runners, 
should  be  set  six  inches  further  apart 
each  way.  N.  Y. 

Plants  should  not  be  closer  in  the 
H.  S.  TlMBRELL  matted  row  than  six 

WM.  D.  BARNS  °r  SeVen  ltlCheS  &t  Pickillg  time.       N.  Y. 

The  rows  should  be  planted  three  and  a  half  feet  apart,  and 
T.  J.  DWYER  the  plants  in  the  row  should  be  twelve  to  fifteen 
inches  apart  at  picking  time.  The  matted  row  should  be  from 
twenty  to  twenty-four  inches  wide.  N.  Y. 


DISTANCE   APART.  45 

It  makes  a  difference  what  varieties  are  planted  ;  Warfield, 
Crescent,  Michel's  Early,  etc.,  should  be  planted  not  less  than 
two  feet  apart  in  the  row,  as  a  rule  ;  while  kinds  that  make 
EUGENE  WILLETT  a  slower  stand  should  be  much  closer,  say 
f:  om  twelve  to  eighteen  inches.  While  we  formerly  planted  five 
feet  apart,  now  we  plant  only  four  feet,  and  make  the  middle 
space  narrower.  N.  Y. 

We  put  all  rows  out  three  feet  four  inches  apart  every  ten 
feet,  which  can  be  easily  measured  and  marked  by  stakes  con- 
taining three  rows.  Had  we  planted  to  rich  laud  four  feet  apart 
might  be  better,  but  we  think  not.  The  plants  might  be  set  the 
same  distance  apart  and  have  the  soil  cultivated  both  ways.  On  a 
large  scale  this  would  be  our  plan.  Should  anyone  prefer  to  set 
the  plants  nearer  together,  as  many  do,  they  could  be  planted 
twenty  inches  apart,  and  still  be  cultivated  both  ways,  or  in  rows, 
by  the  modern  steel  frame  cultivators.  It  is  a  common  custom, 
recommended  in  all  books,  to  run  the  cultivator  through  the  rows, 
always  in  the  same  direction,  thus  pushing  the  rows  aside  and 
massing  them  together,  and  for  what  purpose?  To  save 
J.W.ADAMS  labor  ostensibly.  What  is  the  result?  A  dozen 
or  so  of  unproductive  plants  to  the  square  foot,  stunted  in 
growth,  in  flower  and  in  fruit.  At  the  Field  Day  Show  of  the 
late  P.  M.  Augur,  two  young  men  sat  down  and  counted  more 
than  200  berries  on  one  plant,  the  fruit  being  of  good  size.  How 
much  space  do  you  think  that  single  plant  occupied  ?  Would 
you  grudgingly  give  that  plant  a  square  yard  of  ground?  If 
you  would  have  maximum  results  select  your  runners  as  they 
appear,  allot  them  a  space  more  than  a  foot  square  for  every 
three  or  four  plauts,  and  then  defend  them  in  their  lease  of  land 
against  all  weeds  or  runners.  Then  it  has  been  our  practice,  as 
soon  as  the  runners  well  cover  the  ground,  or  about  October  ist, 
to  cut  out  all  of  the  old  plants  set  out  in  the  previous  spring.  In 
this  way  we  obtain  less  in  number,  but  much  larger  berries. 

Mass. 

I  believe  the  best  and  cheapest  way  of  setting  plants  is  to 
mark  the  ground  both  ways  in  checks,  in  hills,  three  to  four  feet 
S.  W.  GILBERT  and  cultivate  both  ways.  Keep  all  runners 
off  until  the  plants  are  well  established,  and  then  train  the  run- 
ners to  fill  the  three  foot  space.  Six  inches  apart  is  close  enough 
for  the  plants,  and  a  foot  would  be  better.  Mo. 


46 


BIGGI«B  BERRY  BOOK. 


I  set  my  plants  about  one  foot  apart  in  the  rows,  and  rows 
one  foot  apart.  Only  two  rows  in  a  bed,  alternating  the  plants 
so  as  to  take  up  all  the  space  in  the  rows.  I  always  cultivate 
JOHN  F.  BEAVER  the  plants  in  the  spring,  and  in  planting 
alternately  in  the  rows,  I  can  cultivate  each  plant,  which  will 
make  a  very  material  difference  in  the  growth  of  both  foliage 
and  fruit.  I  cut  off  all  runners.  O. 

(Mr.  Beaver  is  an  amateur  grower,  who  has  only  a  garden 
patch,  but  is  famous  for  big  and  beautiful  berries,  often  exhibited 
at  his  county  fair.) 

GEO.  W.  ELVINS        We  have  the  beds  twelve  inches  wide,  with 
six  inches  for  the  growth  of  each  plant.  N.  J. 

It  is  better  to  set  the  plants  rather 
close  in  the  rows,  to  get  a  good  stand  as 
DR.  J.  STAYMAN  early  in  the  season  as 
possible,  and  then  cut  off  the  late  run- 
ners, as  they  are  often  blank  plants  that 
do  not  fruit.  Kan. 

ROBT.  H.  GILLIN  The  plants  at  pick- 
ing time  should  be  eight  to  nine  inches 
apart.  Pa. 

BENJ.  M.  SMITH  Plants  in  matted 
rows  should  be  thinned  so  they  will 
stand  eight  to  ten  inches  apart  at  pick- 
ing time.  Mass. 


DR.  J.  STAYMAN 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

The  novice  in  strawberry  culture,  and  even  the 
veteran,  may  well  read  this  chapter  over  two  or  three 
times.  The  lesson  should  be  learned  by  heart  that 
each  plant  should  have  plenty  of  room  to  develop 
and  perfect  its  fruit,  and  that  some  varieties  require 
more  than  others.  I  do  not  believe  any  sort  will  do 
its  best  in  less  space  than  fifty  square  inches,  and 
some  kinds  should  have  double  that. 


DISTANCE  APART. 


47 


Another  lesson  which  ought  to  be  well  studied  is 
the  importance  of  obtaining  strong  plants  from  the 
early  runners,  as  advised  by  Mr.  Adams  and  Dr.  Stay- 
man.  Some  varieties,  like  the  Gandy,  bear  scarcely 
any  fruit  at  all  on  feeble  plants,  while  on  the  early 
started  strong  ones,  they  yield  quite  well.  Many  have 
discarded  this  splendid  berry,  because  supposed  to  be 
a  poor  yielder,  when  the  whole  trouble  is  as  indicated 
above.  I  would  say,  set  your  plants  in  rows  four  feet 
apart ;  place  the  plants  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  and 
let  the  rows  run  both  ways,  so  the  cultivator  can  run 
both  ways  until  July ;  then  spot  the  runners  eight 
inches  apart,  as  they  form  over  a  space  thirty  inches 
wide,  and  cut  off  every  supernumerary  runner  after 
the  ground  is  filled. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


MULCHING. 


Do  not  rake  off  the  mulch  in  the  spring,  loosen  it  up. — TIM. 

THE  importance  of  mulching  is  becoming  better 
understood  than  formerly,  and  the  work  is  done 
with  more  thoroughness.     The  advantages  from 
it  are  well  set  forth  below. 


A.  M.  PURDY        Doubles  the  crop. 


N.  Y. 


Mulching  is  almost  indispensable,  and  with  underdraining 
SAMUEL  MILLER  and  facilities  to  irrigate,  strawberry  growing 
successfully  hardly  can  fail.  Mo. 

Underdraining  adds  much.  It  retains  moisture  and  admits 
E.  W.  REID  air  from  below  that  makes  it  much  better  for 
working.  O. 

A.  G.  SHARP        Mulching  keeps  fruit  clean  and  helps  to  carry 
through  drought.  Mass. 

I  have  never  seen  any  advantages  here 
from  mulching.  1  have  tried  straw  but 
got  less  berries  where  I  used  it  and  not 
CHARLES  WRIGHT  half  so  good,  either, 
Wet  ground  should  certainly  be  under- 
drained.  Moisture  is  always  essential  for 
strawberries.  Del. 

A.  P.  SAMPSON        We  have  to  wintet 
mulch  and  use  meadow  hay.  Mass. 

We  mulch  in  the  fall  after  the  ground 
freezes.  It  keeps  the  ground  from  thaw- 
ing in  the  hot  sun  and  prevents  heaving  or  wintering  out.  It 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  keeps  the  foliage  green  and  fresh,  and  a 
heavy  mulch  during  the  picking  season  keeps  down  weeds  and 
the  berries  clean  from  sand  and  dirt,  also  keeps  the  pickers 
clean,  helps  hold  moisture  in  a  dry  time,  and  answers  for  manure 
when  plowed  under.  N.  Y 


CHARLES    WRIGHT 


PIRATE  V. 


ERIE  OR 


FEI/TON 


PT.ATK  VI. 


WARFIEU> 


WM. 


MULCHING. 


The  advantages  of  mulching  are  that  when  applied  at  the 
beginning  of  winter  it  prevents  the  plants  being  drawn  up  by 
the  frost,  disturbing  and  breaking  the  roots.  If  left  on  late  iu 
J.  W.  ADAMS  the  spring  it  helps  to  escape  frost  while  the 
plants  are  in  bloom,  and  it  also  retards  ripening  of  the  berries. 
When  renewed  in  the  spring  it  keeps  down  weeds,  and  the  fruit 
from  sand  and  dirt.  Mass. 

Mulching  is  absolutely  necessary  at 
the  north  for  winter  protection.  Some 
varieties,  sucli  as  Parker  Katie,  absolutely 
need  four  inches  of  well-rotted  manure, 
GEORGE  J.  KELLOGG  covering  the  entire 
space  between  the  rows  to  protect  them 
from  drought  and  feed  the  enormous 
burden  of  fruit,  and  the  same  treatment 
will  pay  on  all  varieties.  Wis. 

Without  mulching,  the  bed  becomes 
Z.   T.    RUSSELL         thoroughly    set    with  GEORGE  J- 
weeds  and  grasses,  and  is  ruined  by  a  few  days'  drought.        Mo. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

I  have  but  little  to  add  to  the  above  arguments  in 
favor  of  careful  mulching.  Early  winter  is  the  best 
time  to  do  the  work,  after  the  ground  becomes  hard 
enough  to  bear  a  team.  Swamp  hay,  straw  and  cut 
corn  fodder  are  all  good  materials  for  the  purpose,  but 
the  best  thing  is  well  fermented  and  rotted  horse 
manure.  The  plants  should  always  be  covered  up 
clear  out  of  sight  during  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring 
the  mulch  should  be  retained  around  the  plants,  but 
not  directly  on  them.  A  heavy  mulch  left  on  late  in 
the  spring  insures  late  berries.  The  plants  must 
have  some  vent  if  covered  deeply  after  the  weather 
warms  up,  but  do  not  rake  the  mulch  off  the  row. 


50  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  a  close  cover  like 
a  leaf  of  a  turnip,  put  upon  a  plant,  will  surely  finish 
it,  but  a  pint  of  sand  will  do  it  no  harm.  The  moral 
is  to  have  a  loose  mulch  for  the  strawberry  bed. 

Spring  cultivation  is  a  delusion  and  a  snare.  Keep 
the  ground  moist  and  mellow  by  a  suitable  mulch, 
not  by  cultivation. 

Taking  the  mulch  off  too  soon  is  a  fruitful  cause 
of  injury  from  frost. 

For  a  late  crop  of  late  berries  four  inches  are  not 
too  deep  for  the  mulch. 


A    THIMBLEFUL 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

UNDERDRAINING   AND   IRRIGATION. 

Too  much  water  in  the  soil  is  as  bad  as  too  little. — TIM. 

THE  strawberry  is  such  a  thirsty  plant  when  it  is 
loaded  with  fruit,  that  ample  provision  should 
be  made  to  give  the  bed  all  it  can  use  of  water. 
In  ordinary  seasons  on  some  soils  this  can  be  done  by 
thorough  mulching,  retaining  the  moisture  provided 
by  spring  thaws  and  rains  throughout  the  fruiting 
season ;  but  in  dry  weather  the  crop  is  often  shortened 
through  lack  of  water  unless  underdraining  or  irriga- 
tion, or  both,  are  resorted  to.  Underdraining  is 
needed  on  all  soils  with  a  hard  clay  bottom,  whether 
the  season  be  wet  or  dry,  and  a  bed  should  never  be 
set  in  such  a  soil  without  underdraining,  as  failure,  par- 
tial or  complete,  will  result  if  the  season  be  either  very 
wet  or  very  dry.  Underdraining  will  double  the  crop. 
Irrigation  is  not  practicable  on  ordinary  farms,  but 
when  a  bed  can  be  planted  near  a  stream  or  pond 
that  will  yield  an  abundant  supply  of  water  it  has  been 
found  advantageous  to  irrigate,  which  will  largely 
increase  the  crop  and  greatly  lengthen  the  bearing 
season. 

E.  G.  TlCE        Underdraining  makes  a  larger  and  much  better 
crop.  N.  Y. 

Uuderdraiuing  by  first  drawing  off  the  surplus  water  encour- 
ages the  plants  to  make  a  much  deeper  penetration  of  the  soil  with 
HORACE  J.  SMITH  their  roots,  which  is  an  immense  aid  to 
the  production  of  fine  large  berries  during  a  critical  time  in  the 
life  of  plants.  Wis. 


52  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

Strawberries  require  an  immense  amount  of  water  to  achieve 
EDWIN  BEEKMAN  perfection,  hence  the  advantage  of  low 
lands  well  ditched.  The  ditches  can  be  stopped  so  the  beds  can 
be  flooded  at  night.  N.  J. 

Underdraining  renders  the  soil  loose  and  protects  against 
ANDREW  WILLSON  wet  and  dry  weather.  Irrigation  is  rarely 
needed  when  the  ground  is  underdraiued  and  mulched.  O. 

BENJ.  BUCKMAN        Underdraining  is  valuable  on  all  ground  in 
some  seasons  and  on  wet  ground  in  all  seasons.  111. 

We  have  practiced  irrigation  for  raising  plants  but  not  for 
A.  I.  ROOT  fruit.  For  filling  orders  for  fruit  promptly  in 
summer  we  find  irrigation  a  necessity.  O. 

A.  G.  SHARP        Underdraining  lightens  a  heavy  soil.  Mass. 

All  fruit  land  must  be  underdrained  either  naturally  or 
artificially.  When  the  subsoil  is  porous  gravel  or  sand  the 
WM.  D.  BARNS  natural  drainage  is  complete.  A  clay  or  hard 
subsoil  should  be  underdrained  before  a  crop  of  strawberries 
can  be  grown  with  any  certainty.  N.  Y. 

W.  C.  WILSON        I  believe  that  Underdraining  pays  on  any  soil  - 
except  a  very  dry  sandy  one.  111. 

Underdraining  lightens  a  heavy  wet  soil,  keeps  it  from  bak- 
ing, maKies  it  more  porous  with  a  better  circulation  of  air 
through  it,  draws  off  all  stagnant  water,  which  some  varieties 
H.  S.TlMBRELL  of  strawberries  will  not  stand  at  all.  The 
Crescent  and  Manchester  die  on  a  heavy,  wet  clay  soil,  and 
also  others  of  the  same  strain,  but  such  as  the  Sharpless,  Tim- 
brell,  etc.,  may  thrive  on  it  and  produce  large  crops.  N.  Y. 

Underdrainage  is  a  great  benefit  to  any  wet  soil,  and  some 
lands  not  called  wet  would  be  greatly  helped.  Heavy  land  is 
EUGENE  WILLETT  kept  more  pliable  by  lessening  the  chance 
of  its  baking  after  a  heavy  rain.  It  is  sooner  worked  and  easier 
kept  tilled.  N.  Y. 

No  use  to  try  to  grow  berries  profitably  without  under- 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH  draining  unless  the  soil  be  naturally 
well  drained.  O. 


UNDERDRAINING   AND   IRRIGATION.  53 

Underdraining  is  conducive  to  health,  growth,  and  moistens 
heavy  soil  for  various  reasons.  It  removes  stagnant  or  muddy 
water  and  thus  warms  the  soil,  which  is  very  important.  All 
rains  which  fall  then  pass  through  the  soil.  The  stagnant 
water  having  been  drawn  out,  the  land  is  capable  of  receiving 
and  retaining  for  the  use  of  plants  as  much  water  as  will  fall  in 
ordinary  showers.  Irrigation  is  beneficial  in  many  ways,  but 
J.  W.  ADAMS  especially  so  when  the  fruit  is  swelling,  for  the 
strawberry  loves  moisture,  and  cannot  perfect  its  fruit  without 
it.  How  and  where  to  apply  it  has  caused  many  doubts.  We 
have  usually  let  it  run  between  rows  on  the  surface,  our  land 
being  neither  level  nor  steep.  Water  runs  a  long  distance  with- 
out soaking  away  too  soon  and  without  washing.  We  have 
never  tried  plowing  a  light  furrow  and  laying  small  under- 
ground tiles,  but  the  plan  seems  feasible  for  steep  side  hills,  and 
not  too  expensive  to  be  profitable.  Mass. 

Strawberries  want  water  ;  more  of  it  than  they  are  likely  to 
get.  Irrigation  makes  big  berries  out  of  what  otherwise  might 
be  little  ones,  or  helps  to  make  the  last  picking  almost  as 
fine  as  the  first.  It  makes  big,  showy  berries,  and  also  makes 
J.  H.  HALE  them  with  less  color,  soft  in  texture  and  not  so 
good  in  quality  as  without  it ;  and  it  is  a  sight  more  satisfactory 
to  sell  water  in  the  strawberry  than  in  milk,  especially  after  it  has 
been  drained  from  the  cow.  Conn. 


REMARKS. 

I  said  in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  that  in  stiff 
clay  soils  underdraining  will  double  the  crop,  and  I  wish 
to  emphasize  the  statement  by  repeating  it  here ;  but 
it  is  without  the  compass  of  this  book  to  describe 
methods  of  underdraining,  and  I  refer  the  reader  to  a 
capital  little  work  on  the  subject,  written  by  W.  I. 
Chamberlain,  and  published  by  A.  I.  Root,  of  Medina, 
Ohio. 

I  notice  a  very  interesting  chapter  in  J.  H.  Hale's 
catalogue  on  irrigation  for  strawberries,  telling  how 


THIS   IS   NOT  A    CALIFORNIA    BIG   TREE— ONLY   A   STRAWBERRY,   LIFE   SIZE 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

STAMINATES   AND   PISTII,I,ATES. 
(Perfect  and  Imperfect.) 

Be  sure  to  provide  plenty  of  pollen, — TIM. 

F  I  \HESE  terms  are  now  well  understood  by  others 
J.       than  novices  in  strawberry  culture,  but  begin- 
ners may  need  to  be  told   that  the  staminate 
plants    are    those    which    carry    their    own    pollen, 
and    are,   therefore,   called    per- 
*    feet    flowering,    while   blossoms 
of  pistillates  contain  no  pollen, 
are    imperfect   flowering,    and, 
therefore,   require   the   aid  of  a 
staminate  variety  before  they  will 
produce  fruit.   A  strong  staminate 
bloss  om    is 
shown  in  Fig. 

I,   a  pistillate  in   Fig.  2,  while  a 
feeble  staminate  is  indicated  in  Fig.    ^ 
3 , which  has  a  few  stamens  only,  and 
they    not    fully    developed.      The 
Haverland, 

and    some  Fig-.  2 

others  recognized  as  pistillate 
sorts,  have  a  few  stamens,  and 
furnish  sufficient  pollen  for  self- 
polleniza<tion,  under  favorable 
conditions  ;  and  such  kinds  are 
usually  more  prolific  of  fair  fruit 

than  pistillates  which  are  entirely  devoid  of  stamens. 
Staminates  can  be  grown  in  a  bed  by  themselves,  and 


§6  BIGGIE  B3RRY  BOOK. 

will  bear  fruit ;  pistillates  are  fruitless,  unless  they 
have  staminates  nearby  to  fructify  them.  The  neces- 
sary pollen  is  carried  from  staminates  to  pistillates  by 
the  aid  of  the  wind  and  of  bees,  and  rainy  weather  in 
blossoming  time  is  apt  to  interfere  with  the  distribu- 
tion of  pollen,  and  cause  an  imperfect  crop  of  fruit, 
in  which  many  specimens  are  shortened  at  the  apex, 
small  and  ill-formed.  Wet  weather  likewise  inter- 
rupts the  perfect  development  of  fruit  on  staminate 
varieties,  but  to  less  extent  than  on  pistillates. 

It  is  a  question  often  discussed  among  berry  growers, 
whether  it  is  best  to  discard  the  imperfect  flowering 
varieties  entirely,  owing  to  the  inconvenience  of 
always  having  to  plant  a  suitable  pollenizer  near  them  ; 
and  I  have  asked  the  opinions  of  the  experts  on  the 
subject,  and  also  what  proportions  of  the  two  kinds 
should  be  planted  together. 

The  imperfect  will  never  be  discarded.  They  are  most  pro- 
ductive, yet  we  find  the  most  of  them  soft  and  only  good  for 
home  market.  One  great  point  in  favor  of  imperfect  is,  they  are 
less  liable  to  be  killed  by  late  frosts.  I  would  always  have  one- 
£.  W.  REID  third  of  the  perfect  blooming  varieties,  but  would 
have  them  of  two  varieties,  one  to  be  an  early  bloomer,  and  the 
other  a  late.  This  makes  a  fine  change  in  the  size  of  the  fruit 
of  the  imperfect  at  the  last  of  the  season.  They  are  not  so  apt 
to  run  irregular  or  knotty.  O. 

No;  pistillates  properly  pollenized  are  better.  The  produc- 
GEO.  J.  KELLOGG  tion  of  pollen  seems  to  weaken  the  perfect 
flowering  kinds.  Two  rows  of  perfect  and  two  rows  of  pistil- 
lates are  better  than  any  less  proportion.  Wis. 

The  staminates  vary  in  the  amount  of  pollen  produced,  and 
EDW.  W.  CONE  some  varieties  are  more  strictly  pistillate* 
than  others  so-called,  and  icquire  an  abundant  and  close  polltfni- 
zatiou.  Wis. 


STAMINATES  AND   PISTH.I.ATES.  57 

ANDREW  WILLSON        No;  every  third  row  should  be  staminate. 
Some  of  the  very  best  are  imperfect  flowering.  O. 

No  staminates  that  I  know  of  are  h^avy  croppers,  unless  it 
BENJ.  BUCKMAN  may  be  Parker  Karle.  Proportion  varies, 
say  four  rows  H.  and  two  rows  P-  111. 

Imperfect  varieties  are  somewhat  of  a  nuisance,  but  cannot 
A.  I.  ROOT  be  discarded,  especially  such  varieties  as  Bubach, 
Haverland  and  Warfield,  and  some  others,  until  we  find  some 
other  varieties  that  will  give  the  same  results  in  berries.  O. 

By  all  means,  as  it  is  a  nuisance  to  have  to  plant  a  staminate 
A  G.  SHARP  to  every  third  or  fourth  row,  as  is  now  necessary 
with  these  imperfect  flowering  varieties.  Mass. 

H.  S.  TIMBRELL        I  think  not ;  as  the  imperfect  are,  as  a  rule, 
the  most  productive.  N.  Y. 

J.  R.  HAWKINS        I  am  not  in  favor  of  using  imperfect  flowering 
varieties.  N.  Y. 

In  planting  both  kinds  equally  valuable,  I  would  plant  in 
Alternate  rows.  When  one  variety  is  most  valuable,  then  plant 
J.  H.  HALE  two  to  one.  Have  sometimes  planted  three  to  five 
rows  imperfect,  to  one  of  perfect,  and  found  it  all  right  if  dry 
weather  prevails  at  planting  time,  but  more  or  less  of  a  failure 
if  rains  come  when  plants  are  in  bloom.  Conn. 

I  think  we  are  soon  coming  to  the  time  when  imperfect 
G.  F.  WHEELER  flowering  varieties  will  be  discarded.  The 
introduction  of  a  few  more  staminate  kinds  will  make  it  impos- 
sible to  introduce  anything  but  a  perfect  flowering  variety. 

Mass. 

Many  growers  of  plants  say,  "Give  me  perfect  blooming 
plants,  I  do  not  want  the  setting  of  so  many  kinds."  Not  so  the 
experienced  grower,  for  he  has  learned  that  the  pistillates  are 
the  ones  from  which  his  baskets  are  filled,  and  his  pockets 
J.  W.  ADAMS  replenished.  It  is  yet  a  disputed  point  what 
proportion  of  flowering  plants  to  be  used.  We  recollect  one 
excellent  crop  from  pistillate  varieties  with  no  other  sorts  within 
one  hundred  feet  of  them.  We  have  now  settled  on  one  stereo- 
typed rule  of  three  of  pistillates  to  one  of  staminates.  Mass. 


58  HIGGLE  BERRY  BOOK. 

Not  yet.  There  is  no  variety  among  the  staminate  kinds 
EUGENE  WILLETT  that  will  yield  quite  what  pistillates  do.  \Ve 
usually  plant  two  of  staminate  to  four  of  pistillate.  N.  Y. 

BENJ.  M.  SMITH        I  do  believe  it  is  best  to  discard,  as   far  as 
possible,  imperfect  flowering  varieties.  Mass. 

One  thing  I  have  observed  that  I  have  never  seen  in  print,  is 
E.  M.  BUECHLY  that  the  pistillate  berries  are  more  hardy  in 
spring  frosts  than  the  staminate  sorts.  O. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

These  answers  cover  the  ground  admirably.  Two  of 
them  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  early  spring  frosts 
are  more  apt  to  injure  the  staminate  blossoms  than 
the  pistillates,  and  I  know  this  is  correct.  The  Sharp- 
less,  which  is  a  staminate,  is  most  liable  of  any  to  be 
frost  bitten  and  ought  to  be  discarded,  or  at  least, 
planted  sparingly.  Some  varieties,  notably  Haver- 
land,  which  is  considered  a  pistillate,  have  some  pollen 
of  their  own,  and  require  less  care  in  planting  a  stami- 
nate variety  near  them ;  in  fact,  the  Haverland  will 
almost  fertilize  itself.  There  are  other  pistillates  with 
similar  capacity,  especially  in  favorable  seasons. 

Ordinarily,  I  think  it  best  to  plant  one  row  of  stami- 
nates  to  two  of  pistillates,  or  better  still,  perhaps, 
plant  each  in  alternate  rows. 

Care  must  be  taken  that  the  pollenizer  be  a  sort 
that  will  bloom  abundantly,  and  early  and  late,  so  that 
the  adjacent  pistillate  blossoms  may  receive  pollen 
throughout  the  blossoming  period.  For  this  some 
varieties  of  staminates  are  much  better  than  others, 
some  are  quite  inadequate.  It  is  important,  also,  that 


STAMINATES   AND   PISTIIAATES.  59 

the  staminates  and  pistillates  to  go  together  should 
be  selected  so  that  the  fruit  will  ripen  at  the  same 
time,  and  that  it  be  nearly  the  same  shape  and  color,  so 
that  it  can  be  picked  and  sent  to  market  in  the  same 
crate.  It  requires  skill  to  do  this,  but  it  will  repay 
careful  study.  For  instance,  the  Pearl  or  Parker  Earle 
is  well  adapted  to  fertilize  the  Haverland,  being  of 
the  same  form  and  ripening  nearly  enough  at  the  same 
time.  It  is  probable  that  every  desirable  pistillate  sort 
has  a  good  friend  among  the  staminates  that  it  should 
be  married  to  in  preference  to  the  others,  and  the 
wide-awake  berryman  will  look  sharp  that  his  varieties 
be  well  mated. 

A  pistillate  variety  will  vary  quite  perceptibly  when 
fertilized  by  different  perfect  varieties ;  so,  if  you 
want  firmness,  you  should  fertilize  with  a  firm  berry ; 
if  sweetness  is  wanted,  fertilize  with  a  sweet  one ;  if 
dark  color  is  wanted,  fertilize  with  a  dark  one.  In 
fact,  whatever  peculiarity  you  wish  to  transmit  to  the 
pistillate  variety,  seek  it  in  the  perfect  variety  you 
would  fertilize  by.  Staminates  aifect  the  size,  color, 
solidity,  shape  and  quality  of  pistillates.  Make  a 
study  of  which  varieties  planted  together  bring  the 
best  results. 

The  honey  bee  will  visit  10,000  strawberry  blossoms 
in  a  single  day. 


60  BIGGI/B   BERRY   BOOK. 


BOUQUET   OF   SAUNDERS 

WITH  COMPLIMENTS  OF  TIM'S  WIFE 

Showing  one  plant  of  Saunders,  arid  berries  which  grew  there- 
on, taken  from  our  patch  after  one  picking.  Saunders  is 
remarkable  for  vigor  of  plant,  size  and  beauty 
of  berry,  and  extreme  productiveness. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


TEN  VARIETIES   OF  ESTABLISHED  MERIT. 


'  Tis  easy  to  go  further  and  fare  worse. — TIM. 

ISHAU,  not  undertake  to  describe  all  the  varieties 
of  strawberries  now  before  the  public.  I  shall 
not  describe  any  which  arc  likely  to  be  soon  dis- 
carded, owing  to  some  fault  or  lack  of  positive  merit. 
For  one  thing,  I  do  not  possess  the  facility  of 
language,  or  the  elasticity  of  conscience  that  will 
induce  or  enable  me  to  bestow  superlative  praise 
upon  a  hundred  different  varieties.  I  have  found  it 
very  difficult  to  decide  how  best  to  present  the  ques- 
tion of  varieties,  since  there  are  so  many  with  such 
varying  merits  and  faults  in  different  localities,  and 
under  different  conditions,  and  opinions  of  growers- 
vary  so  much  ;  but  I  have  concluded  to  first  present 
a  standard  list,  consisting  of  ten  sorts  of  established 
merit,  such  as  have  been  well  tested  in  all  parts  of 
the  country,  and  which  have  proven  to  be  worthy  of 
trial,  and  which  are  pretty  sure  to  give  a  good  account 
of  themselves  under  fair  conditions  of  soil,  climate 
and  culture.  Some  of  them,  like  the  Warfield,  are 
supposed  to  have  run  out,  and  others,  as  the  Parker 
Karle,  are  not  free  from  faults  ;  (did  you  ever  know  a 
variety  .free  from  faults?)  yet  I  consider  the  ten 
named,  all  things  considered,  the  best  ten  to  be  found 
among  all  the  varieties  now  before  the  public. 


62  HIGGLE   BERRY   BOOK. 

In  the  following  lists  please  observe  that  the  stami- 
nates,  or  perfect  flowering,  are  printed  in  large  type ; 
and  the  pistillates,  or  imperfect,  are  in  small  type. 

BUBACH.— The  foliage  of  the  Bubach  is  of  medium  greeu 
color,  the  plant  vigorous  aud  healthy,  productive  of  very  large, 
roundish,  conical  berries  ;  many  of  them  obtuse  conical.  Color 
dull  scarlet ;  flesh  pink.  It  has  been  before  the  public  for  several 
years,  maintaining  a  high  reputation  in  nearly  every  part  of  the 
country.  An  abundance  of  manure  will  cause  it  to  run  to  vines. 
It  does  well  in  rather  poor  soil,  where  no  other  kind  will  flour- 
ish. It  is  rather  soft  for  shipment  to  a  distant  market,  but  for 
nearby  market  it  is  among  the  very  best.  Cumberland  is  a  good 
variety  to  fertilize  it  with.  Bubach  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
most  valuable  and  popular  varieties  ever  used.  See  Plate  VIII. 

HAVERLAND. — The  plant  is  thrifty,  of  medium  green  foliage. 
Sets  plants  freely,  but  not  too  much  so.  Productive  of  long, 
conical  berries,  of  scarlet  color,  with  some  neck.  Yellow  seeds ; 
pink  flesh,  of  not  very  high  flavor.  Under  favorable  conditions 
it  is  enormously  productive  of  very  attractive,  salable  berries, 
which  ripen  all  over.  They  grow  on  long  stems,  which  lie  on 
the  ground,  and  if  rains  come  at  ripening,  followed  by  hot  sun, 
are  liable  to  rot.  It  is  hard  to  say  too  much  for  the  Haverlaud 
as  a  market  berry  ;  it  gives  us  berries  moderately  early,  and 
holds  out  well  until  the  last.  The  L,ovett  is  a  good  variety  to 
fertilize  it,  but  it  has  some  pollen  of  its  own,  and  some  seasons 
will  nearly  fertilize  itself.  See  colored  Plate  IV. 

CLYDE. — A  very  productive  and  valuable  variety. 
The  plant  is  clean,  healthy  and  vigorous  and  very 
prolific  ;  forms  several  crowns  and  numerous  runners. 
Foliage  light  green  and  healthy,  berries  large  to  very 
large,  and  of  light  scarlet  color  and  of  roundish,  coni- 
cal, regular  shape  ;  quality  fair,  season  medium  ;  must 
not  be  allowed  to  mat  too  thickly  ;  a  good  pollenizer. 
A  good  shipper,  though  not  the  best.  It  is  a  good 
drought  resister,  and  Hale  describes  it  as  "  a  money 
catcher,  debt  destroyer,  basket  filler  and  family  pro- 


TEN  VARIETIES  OF  ESTABLISHED  MERIT.  63 

yider."  The  Clyde  is  an  up-to-date  berry  for  up-to- 
date  growers.  See  colored  Plate  IV. 

SAUNDERS. — This  is  a  grand  berry.  Originated 
with  John  Little,  of  Ontario,  Canada.  The  plant  is 
healthy  and  very  vigorous,  as  much  so  as  the  Haver- 
land.  The  berries  are  very  large,  glossy  crimson,  of 
good  quality,  with  bright  yellow  seeds  and  red  flesh. 
It  yields  immensely  under  fair  conditions,  of  very 
salable  berries  of  solidity  to  market  well.  It  sets 
fruit  almost  as  freely  as  Parker  Earle,  but,  unlike  that 
variety,  is  able  to  crrry  to  maturity  all  the  berries  that 
form.  Elsewhere  is  shown  a  group  of  Saunders,  all 
taken  from  one  plant  from  my  own  patch. 

PARKER  EARLE. — Plant  robust,  strong  and  healthy, 
with  many  crowns ;  wonderfully  productive  of  conical, 
medium  sized  berries,  with  slight  neck ;  of  rich, 


PARKER    EAKLE 

A  Splendid  late  berry,  but  the  plant  tries  to  do  too  much  and 
sometimes  fails 


64  BlGGlvE   BERRY   BOOK. 

glossy  scarlet  crimson,  red  flesh,  sub-acid,  and  indif- 
ferent in  flavor.  Sets  usually  more  berries  than  it  can 
bring  to  maturity  or  ripen,  and  the  plant  suffers  in 
consequence,  and  is  ruined  in  dry  seasons.  Irrigation 
would  probably  bring  out  its  good  qualities.  It  is  a 
good  shipper ;  season  late.  It  should  be  grown  in 
rich,  moist  ground.  Shown  in  colored  Plate  IV. 

MARSHALL. — This  variety  must  have  place  in  a 
list  of  the  ten  best.    The  plant  is  a  very  strong  grower, 


A    NICE   DISH    OF   MAkSHALLS 


ahead  of  most  others  in  this  respect,  with  dark  green 
foliage.  It  is  moderately  productive  of  very  large, 
beautiful,  quite  dark  berries,  with  yellow  seeds  ;  flesh 
solid,  dark  red,  of  rich  and  high  flavor;  a  good  ship- 
per. It  ripens  with  the  early  berries  and  continues 
late.  It  must  have  rich  soil  and  plenty  of  room  be- 
tween plants.  Very  popular  in  New  England,  where 


PLATE  VII. 


SAMPLE 


GATVTPT  T? TTCTTT/RTDT? 


PRIDE   OF   CUMBERLAND 


TEN  VARIETIES   OF  ESTABLISHED  MERIT.  65 

dark  colored  berries  are  liked,  and  its  great  merit  is 
becoming  widely  recognized  over  the  country. 

WARFIELD. — A  very  valuable  market  berry,  though  rather 
tart  for  home  eating.  The  plant  is  small  and  of  fragile  appear- 
ance, but  makes  a  thick  matted  bed,  and  bears  abundantly. 
Exceedingly  productive,  of  dark,  glossy,  red  berries,  with  yellow 
seeds,  which  carry  well  to  market  and  sell  well.  It  is  a  strong 
rival  of  the  Crescent,  and  has  superseded  it  with  many  growers. 
Shown  on  colored  Plate  V*. 

WM.  BELT. — Heavy,  stocky  plant ;  medium  to  very 
productive  of  large  to  very  large  bright,  glossy,  red 
berries  with  yellow  seeds  ;  no  green  tips.  Largest 
first  berries  a  little  coxcombed  but  later  ones  mostly 
very  regular.  Flesh  deep  pink,  firm,  rich,  sweet  and 
high-flavored  ;  a  superb  berry  for  the  family  or  fancy 
market.  Thrives  on  any  but  light,  thin  soil.  See 
colored  Plate  VI. 

GANDY. — This  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  ever  in- 
troduced. The  plant  is  large  and  healthy  and  vigor- 
ous, with  thick,  dark  green  foliage,  bearing  very  large, 
roundish,  conical,  solid  red,  finely  formed  berries. 
There  is  no  finer  berry  to  carry  to  a  distant  market 
than  the  Gandy,  and  none  presents  a  finer  appearance. 
It  is  not  only  large,  but  uniform  in  size,  perfect  in 
shape  and  color,  and  ripens  evenly.  In  color  it  is  a 
dark  crimson,  the  flesh  pale  salmon.  The  plant  must 
have  an  early  start  in  the  spring  to  produce  a  full  crop 
the  next  season.  A  group  of  Gandys,  all  grown  on  one 
plant,  is  shown  opposite  the  title  page  of  this  book. 
Also  shown  in  colored  Plate  II. 

BRANDYWINE. — This  comparatively  new  variety  is 
now  widely  accepted  as  a  standard  sort.  It  originated 


66 


BIGGLK  BERRY  BOOK. 


near  West  Chester,  Pa. ,  and  is  supposed  to  be  a  cross 
between  Cumberland  andGlendale.  After  a  thorough 
trial  I  am  highly  pleased  with  it.  The  plant  is  vigor- 
ous, throwing  out  abundant  runners.  The  fruit  is 
large  and  has  a  large  calyx  ;  shape  somewhat  irregu- 
lar, but  not  to  hurt ;  ripens  evenly  and  is  red  inside  ; 
flavor  good,  but  best  as  a  market  berry,  and  it  is  very 
handsome  and  solid  ;  it  is  the  best  of  all  for  canning 
and  preserves.  In  season  it  is  medium  to  late.  It 
does  best  on  loamy  or  clayey  soil.  See  colored  Plate 
VI. 


A   DISH   OF   ROYAL   BRANDYW1NES 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NOTES   ON   OTHER  OI^D   VARIETIES- 

Some  good  yet ;    others  worn  out. 

IT  is  indeed  a  difficult  matter  to  handle  my  subject 
when  it  comes  to  varieties.  In  the  last  chapter  I 
named  ten,  which,  all  things  considered,  taking 
the  country  over,  could  be  least  spared.  And  yet 
hardly  any  berry  grower  would  select  the  same  sorts 
throughout,  were  he  asked  his  opinion.  Some  that  I 
have  named  he  would  reject  as  worthless ;  some  that  I 
have  omitted,  he  would  put  in.  This  is  a  large  coun- 
try with  varying  soils  and  climates,  and  markets  are 
different,  so  that  a  variety  good  in  one  place  is  worth- 
less in  another,  or  nearly  so. 

Many  of  the  sorts  mentioned  in  this  chapter  are 
such  as  do  well  in  some  sections,  and  many  growers 
could  doubtless  select  therefrom  three  or  four  kinds 
that  they  would  unhesitatingly  place  in  the  list  of  the 
best  ten,  and  in  doing  so  they  would  not  go  far  wrong. 
Others  of  the  following  list  seem  to  have  so  run  out 
that  they  can  no  longer  be  depended  upon  and 
should  be  dropped.  As  in  the  previous  chapter,  per- 
fect flowering  are  in  large,  imperfect  in  small  type. 


68 


BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 


CRAWFORD. — I  have  been  greatly  disappointed  in 
the  Crawford  solely  because  it  rusts  badly.  I  would 
advise  that  it  be  discarded . 

EDGAR  QUEEN. — Another  good  sort  that  seems  to 
have  got  left.  See  colored  Plate  I. 

GREENVILI  E. — This  is  a  fine,  large  berry  ;  considered  by  some 
an  improvement  on  the  Bubach,  ripening  a  few  days  later.  It  is 
very  productive.  It  is  not  firm  enough  for  long  shipments,  but 
the  plant  is  free  from  disease  ;  berry  of  fine  appearance  and  good 
quality.  The  foliage  is  strong  dark  green  ;  the  berries  are  a 
glossy  crimson,  bright  yellow  seeds  ;  flesh  medium  red.  Each 
plant  throws  up  several  fruit  stalks,  and  the  berries  on  each  one 
of  them  ripen  at  the  same  time.  Rich,  spicy  flavor.  I  commend 
this  for  general  trial  for  a  market  or  home  fruit.  Season  me- 
dium to  late.  See  colored  Plate  III. 


HOW    DO    YOU    LIKE   THESK  ? 


LovETT. — Very  vigorous  plant ;  rich,  dark  glossy 
foliage.     Very  productive  of  medium  sized  roundish, 


OTHER   OI<D    VARIETIES.  69 

conical,  crimson  berries,  seldom  ill-shaped,  with  light 
red  flesh.  Some  specimens  quite  dark  red  all  the  way 
through.  Sub-acid  without  much  flavor.  Larger  and 
more  productive  than  the  Crescent.  It  is  an  excellent 
pollenizer,  furnishing  bloom  through  the  season. 
Hale  says  it  does  better  in  loam  or  clay  than  in  sandy 
ground.  See  colored  Plate  I. 

CRESCENT. — The  most  prolific  and  best  known  of  strawberries. 
Thought  by  some  to  have  run  out,  but  will  hold  on  while  a  good 
many  new  ones  die.  The  plant  is  light  and  slender,  but  healthy 
and  vigorous.  The  berries  are  rather  small,  roundish,  conical, 
slightly  depressed  at  apex,  of  dull  scarlet  color  ;  light  flesh  ;  sub- 
acid,  with  spicy  flavor ;  season  early  to  late.  It  is  often  called 
the  poor  man's  berry  because  it  is  sure  to  yield  fruit  under 
adverse  conditions.  Shown  in  colored  Plate  II. 


DISH   OF   BEDER  WOODS 

Hard  to  beat 

WOOD. — Moderately  thrifty  growing  plant 
of  Crescent  type  ;  very  productive  of  medium,  round- 
ish, dull  scarlet  berries,  with  white  flesh  ;  moderately 
firm  ;  sweet  but  insipid.  Seems  to  give  fair  satisfaction 
where  tried,  but  I  would  not  plant  it  for  market.  See 
colored  Plate  IV. 


70  BIGGIE   BERRV   BOOK. 


V.  —  A  vigorous,  upright  grower  with  heavy 
foliage  of  the  Miner  type  ;  medium  green  ;  very 
productive  ;  large,  irregular,  roundish  or  obtuse 
conical  berries  ;  red  color,  similar  to  Miner  ;  deep 
crimson-  white  flesh  and  good  quality,  although  some- 
what acid  and  not  firm  ;  bears  a  long  time,  holding 
out  well.  See  colored  Plate  II. 

SHUSTER'S  GEM.  —  Medium,  growing  plant,  moderately  pro- 
ductive of  medium  sized,  conical,  dull  scarlet  berries;  with  white 
flesh  similar  to  the  Haverland,  very  rich  and  sweet,  but  not  solid 
enough  for  distant  market.  Season  early  to  medium. 

CUMBERLAND.  —  This  is  a  fine  old  variety,  one  of 
the  best  for  the  home  garden  and  good  for  near 
market.  The  plant  is  healthy  and  vigorous,  and 
berries  are  a  beautiful  light  red,  of  high  quality,  round 
and  very  uniform  in  shape.  A  good  pollenizer  for 
pistillate  sorts  and  does  well  on  poor  soils  ;  season 
medium.  One  objection  to  the  Cumberland  is  its 
liability  to  be  frost  bitten. 

BARTON'S  ECLIPSE.—  Growth  rank  ;  foliage  light 
green  ;  leaf  stalks  long  and  stiff  ;  leaves  large  ;  fruit 
large  to  very  large,  conical,  rounding  in  large  speci- 
mens ;  dark  red,  showy,  medium  firm  ;  quality  fine  ; 
a  fairly  good  market  berry,  though  not  of  sufficient 
merit  to  warrant  its  showing  on  colored  plate. 

MICHKI/S  EARLY.  —  One  of  the  earliest  varieties 
grown.  The  plant  is  a  very  robust  grower,  strong  and 
healthy,  although  plant  is  rather  small  ;  one  of  the 
best  of  the  early  pollenizers,  as  it  blossoms  early  and 
late.  Moderately  productive  of  uniform,  small  sized 
berries  of  good  quality  ;  flesh  soft,  nearly  white  ; 
roundish,  conical  ;  dull  scarlet  in  color. 


OTHER   OLD    VARIETIES. 


FEI/TON. — Of  rank  growth  ;  somewhat  of  Sharpless 
type  ;  good  bearer  of  very  large,  soft  berries,  not  suit- 


A   NOTABLE    QUARTETTE 

Too  big  for  the  tumbler 

able  for  market ;  not  recommended  except  to  give  the 
family  some  prize  berries.  Shown  in  engraving  of 
four  berries  in  a  tumbler ;  or,  trying  to  get  in.  See 
colored  Plate  V. 

MUSKINGUM. — Once  very  promising,  with  some 
good  points,  but  the  plant  is  too  feeble  and  it  will  have 
to  go.  No  variety  will  stand  the  test  of  time  unless 
the  plant  is  naturally  healthy  and  vigorous. 


72  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

WOLVERTON. — Much  was  hoped  for  this  berry,  and 
it  has  good  points,  but  the  white  tips  condemn  it.  Not 
equal  in  any  way  to  Saunders. 

SHARPNESS. — Too  well  known  to  need  description. 
Grown  yet  in  many  gardens  because  of  its  large  size 
and  excellent  quality,  but  the  blossoms  are  tender  and 
the  fruit  is  liable  to  be  blasted  by  frost  in  early  spring. 
It  is  time  to  discard  it. 

WILSON. — This  veteran  is  still  grown  in  some  sec- 
tions more  than  any  other  single  variety.  But  the  plant 
is  feeble,  the  berry  small,  sour  and  inferior  to  many 
others.  Why  it  is  planted  at  all  I  cannot  imagine. 

JESSIE- — A  good  pollenizer  for  Bubach  and  Haver- 
land.  The  strong  points  of  the  Jessie,  according  to 
A.  I.  Root,  are  that  it  is  exceedingly  early,  of  large 
size,  and  that  its  red  cheeks,  reminding  one  of  a  ripe 
peach,  make  it  bring  the  very  highest  price.  The 
berry  is  sweet  and  holds  on  well  to  the  last.  Its  dis- 
advantages are  that  if  the  soil  is  not  just  to  its  liking 
it  gets  feeble,  and  does  not  bear  much  fruit,  and  its 
blossoms  are  likely  to  be  injured  by  frost. 

MARY. — A  stocky  growing-  plant  with  man}'  fruit  crowns,  pro- 
ductive of  large,  roundish,  conical,  dark,  glossy  crimson  berries  ; 
very  red  at  the  centre  ;  acid  and  flavorless  ;  productive  and  late. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  will  prove  a  good  market  berry. 

Of  the  twenty  varieties  mentioned  in  this  chap- 
ter all  but  four  have  perfect  blossoms.  Out  of  the 
ten  best  varieties  named  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
all  but  three  are  self-pollenizing.  It  seems  not  un- 
likely that  before  very  long  pistillate  or  imperfect 
flowering  varieties  will  be  abandoned  altogether. 
The  sooner  the  better. 


•f* 


HALL'S  FAVORITE.  GARDNER. 


SOME  OF  THE  LEADING  BERRIES  OLD  AND  NEW 
SHOWING    RELATIVE  SIZE 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


NEWER  VARIETIES  ON   TRIAL. 
Try  all  things  and  hold  fast  to  that  which  is  good.  —  PROVERB. 

THERE  are  many  for  this  list,  and  not  a  few  which 
are  pretty  certain  to  come  to  the  front  in  the  near 
future  and  take  their  places  in  the  first  rank. 
There  never  was  greater  activity  among  berrymen 
than  at  present  to  originate  and  introduce  new  seed- 
lings, and  I  am  glad  that  it  is  so,  for  this  is  a  worthy 
work  and  must  result  in  great  good.     If  they  will  but 
give  us  one  variety  of  merit  annually,  their  enterprise 
will  be  justified  and  they  will  deserve  the  thanks  of 
their  generation,  so  I  wish  them  abundant  success  in 
their  labors.     I  am  indebted  to  J.  H.  Hale  for  some 
of  these  descriptions  of  new  berries  from  his  trial  bed. 
As  before,  staminates  in  large  type  and  pistillates  in 
small  type. 

MAXIMUS. — A  very  odd   and   remarkable   variety 
for  the  amateur.      Plant  of  wonderful  vigor  and  berry 

of  enormous  size.  The 
odd  thing  about  it  is 
that  partially  grown 
berries  are  white  ;  half 
ripe  ones  light  red  with 
white  cheek ;  when  fully 
ripe  a  beautiful  dark  red 
all  over.  It  is  unlike 
any  other  variety  in 
coloring  and  is  a  most 
striking  novelty,  just 
the  sort  for  the  ambitious  amateur  grower.  Similar 
and  as  good  as  that  of  the  old  Chas.  Downing.  Too 
soft  for  distant,  but  will  be  king  in  nearby  market. 
See  colored  Plate  IX. 


NEWER  VARIETIES   ON  TRIAI«.  75 

MORGAN'S  FAVORITE. — Another  grand  berry  for 
the  family  garden.  Plant  vigorous,  berry  very  large 
and  of  superb  quality,  of  the  old  Triumph  de  Grand 
type,  rather  soft  like  Maximus  ;  only  suitable  for  a 
near  market  and  for  the  family  table,  where  it  is  a 
delight.  See  colored  Plate  IX. 

Louis  GAUTIER. — A  French  variety  with  a  French 
name.  Not  valuable  as  a  market  sort,  but  is  most 
delicious  for  the  family  garden,  possessing  a  rich 
flavor  quite  unknown  among  native  varieties.  The 
color  is  very  light,  with  delicate  pinkish  cheek,  which 
is  very  attractive.  Spread  fifty  varieties  on  the  table 
before  you,  the  Louis  Gautier  is  the  one  you  will  eat. 
A  few  plants  of  this  kind,  with  Morgan's  Favorite  and 
Maximus  in  your  garden,  well  cared  for,  will  give  you 
a  reputation  as  a  distinguished  strawberry  amateur 
expert. 

PEASE. — A  berry  identical  in  plant  and  fruit  with 
the  Gandy,  only  that  it  ripens  one  week  earlier. 


76  BIGGLE   BERRY  BOOK. 

Gandy  men  will  be  interested  in  it  because  it  will  en- 
able them  to  begin  to  ship  a  week  earlier  than  here- 
tofore.     It  may  not  be  known  that  there  are  very 
successful   berry  growers  who  grow  only  the  Gandy. 
See  colored  Plate  II. 

PRIDE  OF  CUMBERLAND. — Not  the  old  Cumber- 
land, but  probably  of  much  greater  value.  It  is  a 
great  bearer  of  marketable  fruit,  much  like  the  Gandy 
in  appearance  but  smaller,  ripening  earlier  and  a  good 
shipper.  Requires  deep,  rich  soil  with  plenty  of  space 
between  plants,  and  then  is  a  good  cropper.  See 
colored  Plate  VIII. 

GARDNER. — Strong,  free-growing  plant  of  great 
productiveness,  rivaling  Parker  Karle  and  Haverland ; 
fruit  large,  roundish,  conical,  bright  crimson,  firm 
and  of  good  quality ;  ought  to  make  a  good  pollenizer 
for  Haverland  and  they  would  go  to  market  together. 
Suitable  for  light  or  medium  soils  and  a  good  berry 
for  markets  not  far  off.  See  colored  Plate  VIII. 

ATLANTIC. — This  is  a  profitable  market  berry  in 
some  sections  of  New  York  State.  It  needs  rich  soil, 
and  then  the  berry  is  large,  firm  and  sweet ;  a 
splendid  shipper  ;  color  dark  red,  but  not  so  dark  as 
Marshall. 

SAMPLE. — A  good  late  market  berry  ;  plaut  strong  growing, 
healthy  aiid  very  prolific  ;  crimson  fruit  of  large  size,  heart- 
shaped  and  of  regular  shape.  Only  a  moderately  good  shipper. 
Worthy  of  general  trial.  See  colored  Plate  VII. 

RIDGEWAY. — Berry  handsome  and  very  large, 
nearly  round  and  smooth,  resembling  Cumberland  ; 
color  bright  glossy  scarlet  outside,  rose  color  within, 
with  yellow  seeds ;  a  fairly  good  shipper,  about  like 


NEWER  VARIETIES   ON  TRIAL. 


77 


Bubach.     Quality  very  good.     Keep  the  plants  well 
apart  for  best  results. 

SALEM.— This  is  a  berry  originating  at  Beverly, 
Mass.,  and  highly  recommended  by  Benj.  M.  Smith, 
who  is  good  authority.  Plant  vigorous ;  berry  very 
large  ;  color  dark,  like  Beverly  and  Marshall ;  sweet, 


solid  flesh  ;  season  early  to  late.  I  have  seen  no  berry 
of  recent  introduction  more  promising  than  this.  See 
colored  Plate  II. 

SEAFORD.— The  plant  is  healthy  atid  a  good  grower  and  pro- 
ductive ;  size  of  Bubach,  and  is  an  early  ripener  of  marketable 
fruit ;  color  deep  rich  red  outside,  and  is  equally  good  ;  calyx 
green,  and  looks  well  in  basket.  Popular  in  Delaware,  where 
they  want  an  early  shipping  berry. 

FOUNTAIN. — A  large  firm  and  beautiful  dark  berry, 
of  the  Haverland  shape  ;  rather  tart ;  plant  a  healthy 
and  good  grower  and  productive. 

McKiNLEY. — Berry  large  roundish,  conical,  with 
pointed  tips,  of  the  Haverland  type ;  color  crimson  ; 
flesh  firm,  quality  good ;  plant  a  strong  healthy 
grower  ;  worthy  of  trial. 


78  BIGGIE   BERRY  BOOK. 

NICK  OHMER.— Plant  large  and  stocky,  of  good 
vigor  and  productiveness  ;  berry  of  large  size,  smooth 
and  round,  of  the  Cumberland  type  ;  dark  glossy  red, 
firm,  and  of  excellent  flavor.  See  colored  Plate  I. 

GLEN  MARY. — A  very  large  berry  originating  with 
the  man  who  introduced  the  Brandywine.  Plant 
vigorous  and  berry  of  largest  size.  Season  late  ; 
quality  excellent ;  bright  dark  red  in  color  and  very 
productive.  Flesh  light  red  and  moderately  firm. 
Said  by  some  to  be  superior  to  Brandywine,  which  is 
high  praise. 

TENNESSEE. — This  is  a  seedling  of  Crescent  and 
Sharpless.  The  foliage  is  large  and  handsome ;  a 
great  plant-maker.  The  originator  claims  it  to  be  as 
productive  as  Haverland  and  far  superior  to  it. 
Worthy  of  trial. 

GLADSTONE. — A  good  name,  certainly  ;  color  me- 
dium red,  flesh  red  and  rich,  high  spicy  quality  ;  said 
to  be  very  large  and  quite  early.  On  trial. 

MARGARET. — Plant  a  large,  healthy  and  vigorous 
grower,  having  dark  glossy  foliage.  Fruit  of  very 
large  size,  usually  conical,  sometimes  rather  long, 
often  nicked,  and  quality  excellent.  It  ripens  all 
over,  a  dark  gloss}^  red,  and  red  inside.  Flesh  quite 
firm.  Season  medium  to  late.  Should  have  rich  soil 
and  plenty  of  room.  A  good  variety  for  amateurs  for 
brag  berries. 

BRUNETTE. — A  fine  berry  for  the  house  garden,  the 
quality  being  unusually  good  ;  regular  in  size ;  very 
dark  red  ;  glossy  and  beautiful  in  appearance. 

CARRIE. — Of  the  Haverlaiid  type  every  way,  but  darker  in 
color  and  firmer,  with  a  fine  gloss.  See  colored  Plate  IV. 


NEWER  VARIETIES   ON   TRIAI,.  79 

CHAMPION  OF  ENGLAND. —  A  vigorous  variety, 
medium  early  ;  fruit  very  large,  broadly  conical ;  has 
a  bright  polished  surface,  red  in  color  and  firm  flesh. 

These  are  by  no  means  all  of  the  new  candidates 
for  public  favor,  for  their  name  is  legion.  Doubtless 
I  have  omitted  some  that  are  destined  to  come  to 
the  front  by  and  by.  My  old  friend,  J.  Stayman, 
of  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  names  Sue,  Ettenson,  Stay- 
man, Magnate,  L,ongfield  and  Alaska  as  very  prom- 
ising ;  E.  W.  Cone,  Menomonie,  Wis.,  ranks  Ger- 
trude, Patrick  and  Arrow  as  being  very  valuable ; 
W.  D.  Barns,  of  Middle  Hope,  N.  Y.,  speaks  well  of 
the  Hunn  as  a  profitable  late  market  berry  ;  Maxwell 
is  admired  by  some  ;  Improved  Parker  Earle  is  said 
to  be  much  better  than  its  parent ;  Eugene  Willets 
praises  Wilhelm  very  highly  ;  Ruby  is  much  bragged 
about,  and  we  have  at  Elmwood  a  seedling,  which  we 
have  named  Tim,  which  looks  like  a  good  one.  I 
have  mentioned  all  that  I  have  room  for. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 


BRIEF  ANALYSIS   OF  VARIETIES. 

IT  may  be  of  advantage  to  beginners,  who  have  not 
made  a  study  of  the  different  varieties  and  know 
but  little  about  them,  to  give   a  classified  list, 
indicating  prominent  characteristics,  as  below  : 

LARGE- 

Clyde,  Pease,  Atlantic,  Nick  Ohmer,  Sharpless, 
Greenville,  Belmont,  Saunders,  Crawford,  Edgar 
Queen,  Bubach,  Jucunda  Improved,  Gandy,  Leader, 
Jessie,  Brandywine,  Felton,  Mary,  Iowa  Beauty,  Wm. 
Belt,  Ridgeway,  Margaret,  Maximus,  Morgan's  Fa- 
vorite, Marshall  and  Glen  Mary. 

EARLY. 

Leader,  Beder  Wood,  Crescent,  Michel's  and 
Meek's  Early,  Haverland,  Bubach. 

LATE. 

Gandy,  Eureka,  Parker  Earle,  Windsor,  Equinox, 
Hunn,  Sample,  Brandywine,  Haverland. 

QUALITY. 

Wni.  Belt,  Ridgeway,  Pearl,  Banquet,  Cumberland, 
Iowa  Beauty,  Brunette,  Louis  Gautier,  Salem,  At- 
lantic, Margaret,  Morgan's  Favorite. 

MARKET. 

Pease,  Clyde,  Atlantic,  Gandy,  Haverland,  Saun- 
ders, Bubach,  Crescent,  Greenville,  Parker  Earle, 
Warfield,  L/ovett,  Brandywine,  Sample. 


PLATE   IX. 


MORGAN'S  FAVORITE 


PLATE  X. 


CUTHBERT 


LOU DON 


ROYAL  CHURCH 


BRIEF  ANALYSIS  OF  VARIETIES.  8l 

GENERAL,  REMARKS. 


I  wish  to  say  right  here,  and  please  don't  forget  it, 
that  it  is  very  unwise  to  select  a  variety,  especially  for 
market,  that  has  a  feeble  growth,  or  that  shows  a 
tendency  to  rust.  Above  all,  get  a  plant  of  size  and 
vigor,  and  then  take  good  care  of  it. 

Be  sure  to  manure  heavily,  cultivate  thoroughly, 
and  do  not  let  the  runners  set  nearer  than  eight 
inches  from  the  mother  plant  and  from  each  other. 
Then,  if  you  keep  off  the  rust  by  spraying  with  Bor- 
deaux mixture  every  two  or  three  weeks,  as  needed, 
your  fame  will  go  forth  as  a  successful  grower  of  the 
strawberry. 

Some  growers  make  no  distinction  between  the 
varieties  intended  for  market  purposes  and  those  for 
the  family  to  use  ;  nevertheless,  I  believe  that  different 
sorts  should  be  selected,  because  it  is  not  always  the 
sweetest  berry  that  will  yield  the  greatest  number  of 
quarts,  nor  carry  to  market  in  the  most  salable  con- 
dition. On  the  other  hand,  the  variety  that  is  most 
desirable  for  the  family  to  feast  oil  may  be  a  light 
yielder,  and  perhaps  of  poor  color  and  soft  in  texture. 
Buyers  in  the  towns  are  attracted  by  size,  color  and 
freshness,  and  are  not  very  particular  about  the  flavor, 
while  for  the  folks  at  home  nothing  is  too  good  for 
them.  A  large  number  of  varieties,  both  of  old  and 
new  introduction,  that  have  high  merit  as  a  home 
fruit,  will  not  carry  to  market  in  good  order,  and 
should  not  be  placed  in  the  market  list. 

The  strawberry  plant  indicates  by  its  leaf  what  is 
the  shade  of  color,  size,  shape  and  quality  of  the  berry. 
The  lighter  the  color  of  the  leaf,  the  lighter  you  will 


82 


BIGGLE   BERRY  BOOK. 


find  the  color  of  the  berry  ;  the  darker  the  leaf,  the 
darker  the  berry.  The  leaf  also  indicates  the  size  of 
the  berry.  An  irregular  berry 
is  indicated  by  an  irregular  leaf, 
a  round  berry  by  a  round  leaf, 
a  long  berry  by  a  long  leaf. 
Leaves  on  the  same  plant  will 
vary  considerably,  no  two  are 
alike,  but  their  general  form 
will  be  the  same.  Also  the 
relative  productiveness  of  differ- 
ent varieties  of  strawberries  can 
be  told  by  the  number  of  serra- 
tures  or  saw  teeth  on  the  leaf. 
The  greater  the  number  of  ser- 
the  number  of  berries  will  be 


ROUND  LFAF  INDICATING 
ROUND  BERRY 


ratures  the   greater 

produced  on  an  individual  plant. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE   OLD   STRAWBERRY   BED. 


No  matter  what  they  tell  you,  plow  up  the  bed  after 
getting  one  crop  from  it. — TIM. 

IT  is  a  mooted  question  whether  it  is  worth  while  to 
maintain  the  bed  after  one  crop  is  taken  off.     I 
will   first  give  the  views   of  the  brethren   and 
then  my  own. 

J.  H.  HALE         If  any  one  is  bound  to  do  so  foolish  a  thing  as  to 
fruit  a  bed  the  second  season,  etc.  Conn. 

JOHN  LITTLE        Turn  the  plants  under  after  the  picking  is  done. 

Can. 

Burn  over.  Plow  furrow  on  to  the  rows  from  between  the 
A.  M.  PURDY  rows  ;  harrow  lengthwise  of  the  rows  and  then 
crosswise,  getting  fresh  soil  well  worked  into  them.  N.  Y. 

We  have  kept  valuable  varieties  two 
or  three  years.  Our  mode  is  to  simply 
keep  weeds  out  before,  during  and  after 
bearing,  always.  Strawberry  beds  that 
are  intended  for  another  year's  fruiting 
should  be  mowed  as  soon  as  the  season  is 
M.  A.  THAYER  over  ;  raked  and  then 
burned.  The  rows  are  then  narrowed 
down  by  cutting  in  between  the  rows 
with  a  spade  and  harrow,  removing  the 
centre  beds.  After  this  is  done  it  is  hoed,  M.  "A?  THAYER  " 
weeded  and  cultivated  the  same  as  a  new  bed.  Wis. 

Mow  off  the  growth  of  weeds  and  leaves  soon  after  fruiting; 
clean  out  paths  and  beds.  It  is  possible  to  burn  off  the  rubbish 
GEORGE  F.  BEEDE  if  dry,  but  it  requires  care  and  experience 
to  make  a  success  of  it.  Too  much  heat  will  kill  the  plants,  too 
little  will  not  kill  the  weeds  and  grass.  When  rightly  done  it 
destroys  all  insects,  and  is  a  great  help  to  future  culture.  N.  H. 


84  BIGGIE  BERRY  BOOK. 

Plow  out  the  middle  of  the  row  with  a  plow  ;  harrow  cross- 
wise until  furrows  are  filled,  then  weed.  Plow  should  be  wide 
BENJ.  BUCKMAN  enough  to  leave  a  four  inch  strip  on  each 
side.  This  gives  double  the  number  of  rows  for.next  year  which 
must  be  kept  underway.  111. 

Never  try  to  get  fruit  the  second  season.  Plow  beds  imme- 
GEORGE  Q.  Dow  diately  after  picking  the  first  crop.  No  use  ; 
it  costs  too  much.  N.  H. 

SAMUEL  MILLER        Plow  under  and  start  a  new  bed.  Mo. 

On  old  strawberry  beds  try  Dr.  Bering's  motto,  "  A  short  life 
J.  W.  ADAMS  and  a  merry  one,"  but  do  not  discourage  boys 
or  men  by  trying  to  patch  up  an  old  strawberry  bed.  Mass. 

After  fruiting  throw  dirt  in  a  ridge  on  to  the  centre  of  the 
T.  E.  GOODRICH  row  with  a  one  horse  plow.  lyet  lie  a  few 
days,  cultivate  down  level,  and  cross  the  rows  with  an  Acme 
harrow.  111. 

GEORGE  A.  DAVIS        Plow  it  up  ;  it  never  pays  to  keep  it  for 
fruiting.  N.  Y. 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

Since  it  costs  less  to  grow  strawberries  on  a  new 
bed  than  on  an  old  one,  and  the  berries  are  finer,  it  is 
reasonable  to  conclude  that  it  is  best  to  plow  down 
the  old  bed  at  the  end  of  the  fruiting  season,  accord- 
ing to  the  weight  of  advice  given  above ;  and  as  it 
appears  an  old  bed  is  a  prolific  breeding  place  for 
fungi  and  insect  pests,  and  one  cause  of  plant  deterio- 
ration, doubtless,  as  a  rule,  a  thorough  plowing,  turn- 
ing everything  out  of  sight,  is  the  best  thing  to  do 
with  the  old  strawberry  bed. 

However,  there  may  be  circumstances  that  make 
it  best  to  hold  the  patch  over  for  another  crop,  and 


THE  OI.D    STRAWBERRY   BED.  85 

where  this  is  to  be  done  the  methods  described  above 
are  well  conceived  and  will  visually  bring  fair  results. 
Of  the  ways  given,  I  like  the  plan  of  Mr.  Purdy  and 
Mr.  Goodrich  best,  wherein  the  furrows  are  turned 
from  the  alleys  over  upon  the  rows,  which  are  then 
well  harrowed,  sufficient  to  uncover  the  plants.  This 
gives  me  better  results  than  plowing  away  from  the 
rows. 

The  practice  of  first  mowing,  then  burning  the 
dead  leaves  and  weeds;  is  a  good  one,  if  the  burning 
be  carefully  done  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Beede.  A  very 
hot  fire  over  the  plants  will  kill  them.  It  is  my  cus- 
tom to  plow  the  old  bed  down  and  plant  to  sugar  corn 
July  ist,  or  to  late  peas  August  loth,  for  market ;  or,  a 
crop  of  potatoes  may  be  grown  where  this  crop  does 
well  planted  so  late. 


CARRIE,    SISTER    OF    HAVERLAND 


CHAPTER  XX. 


DO   VARIETIES  RUN  OUT. 

That  depends. — TIM. 

seems  to  be  a  difference  of   opinion  as 
JL      to  whether  or  not  varieties  run  out,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  read  what   my  friends   say   on 
the  subject. 

A.  M.  PURDY      Setting  plants  from  old,  worn  out,  diseased  plan- 
tations. N.  Y. 

Some  varieties  run  out,  others  do  not.  Careless  selection  in 
propagating  plants  for  new  beds  is  the  main  cause  for  vigorous 
GEORGE  F.  BEEDE  varieties  running  out.  Seedlings  as  a  rule 
show  vigor  for  a  few  years,  which  does  not  hold  out.  N.  H. 

I  am  not  sure  that  varieties  will  run  out  if  they  receive 
A.  I.  ROOT  proper  care,  and  new  settings  are  used  in  planting 
each  year.  O. 

M.  A.  THAYER        Strawberries  run  out  from  lack  of  care  and 
proper  mode  of  production.  Wis. 

Varieties  do  not  run  out  except  by  taking  plants  from  old 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  beds.  Keep  setting  good  strong  plants  that 
have  never  borne  berries  and  they  will  always  be  the  same.  N.  Y. 

I  do  not  think  they  would  run  out  if  care  were  taken  to  plant 
EUGENE  WILLETT  strong,  healthy  plants  from  new  beds  every 
year,  and  given  change  of  soil  once  in  four  or  five  years.  N.  Y. 

W.  W.  FARNSWORTH       Partly,  perhaps,  from  defective  soil,  and 
partly  from  taking  from  beds  that  have  borne  fruit.  O. 

Varieties  do  not  run  out,  they  simply  fail  to  succeed,  and  be 
perfect  except  under  very  favorable  conditions  of  soil  and  plants. 
T.  J.  DWYER  In  this  way  they  are  justly  decried  "  out"  until 
the  stock  of  such  varieties  becomes  exhausted  and  cannot  be 
had  for  the  reason  it  is  no  longer  propagated.  N.  Y. 


DO   VARIETIES   RUN   OUT.  87 

It  seems  to  be  the  law  of  r.ature  that  plants  not  propagated 
from  seed  should  deteriorate.  The  strawberry  is  no  exception 
EDWARD  W.  CONE  to  this  rule,  and  growers  find  more  com- 
pensation in  giving  attention  to  new  varieties  than  in  trying  to 
improve  the  old.  Wis. 

Varieties  do  run  out  but  the  reason 
is  not  apparent.  It  seems  to  be  an  estab- 
lished fact  that  the  nearer  the  plants  are 
A.  M.  PURDY  to  the  seed  bed  the  greater 
their  health  and  productiveness.  Poor 
culture  may  have  something  to  do  with 
it,  but  fungous  diseases  do  much  more  to 
weaken  certain  varieties.  N.  Y. 

By  selecting  the  most  vigorous  plants 
J.  G.  BUCHANAN  each  year  to  propa- 
gate from,  plants  will  never  run  out.  O. 

I  use  the  first  plant  on  the  runner  for  my  new  beds.  In  fact 
I  will  not  plant  anything  else,  and  the  runner  must  be  from  a 
S.  R.  ROGERS  vigorous  mother  plant.  By  following  this 
rule  you  can  improve  the  varieties  instead  of  having  them  run 
out.  O. 

A.  D.  WEBB        I  have  two  varieties  fruited  now  seventeen  years, 
with  no  perceptible  deterioration  either  in  plant  or  fruit.        Ky. 

I  think  it  is  the  trouble  with  the  fellow  that  propagates  them. 
J.  H.  HALE  Always  take  plants  from  new  beds,  and  above 
all  things  do  not  let  them  mat  too  thickly  in  the  beds.  Conn. 


A.  M.  PURDY 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

For  my  own  part  I  do  not  believe  varieties  will 
run  out  if  proper  intelligence  is  given  their  propaga- 
tion by  runners  and  their  after  culture.  Carelessness 
and  neglect  and  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  growers, 
and  enterprise  in  those  who  have  made  it  their  duty 
to  introduce  new  varieties,  are  the  main  causes  of 


88  BIGGIE  BERRY   BOOK. 

strawberry  deterioration  ;  or,  they  run  out  because 
plant  nurserymen  cease  to  sell  them,  and  because 
improvement  is  the  order  of  the  day,  and  new  and 
better  kinds  are  discovered  or  propagated.  It  is  time 
a  variety  had  run  out,  though  it  may  not  have  deterio- 
rated in  the  least,  when  something  better  has  come  in. 
One  of  the  greatest  errors  made  by  strawberry  growers 
is  the  discarding  of  valuable  kinds  before  they  give 
them  a  fair  trial  and  learn  just  what  treatment  is  best 
for  them,  to  take  up  with  some  new  and  costly  variety, 
which,  in  due  time,  will  go  out  in  the  same  manner, 
perhaps  being  inferior  in  every  way  to  the  old  sorts. 
In  this  way  many  have  already  discarded  that  wonder- 
ful berry,  the  Gandy,  which  succeeds  admirably  where 
brains  are  applied  to  its  culture,  and  the  required  con- 
ditions of  a  crop  are  complied  with. 


BUNCH   OF   WILLIAM    BELTS 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

RUST   AND   INSECTS. 


To  avoid  scriotis  effects  from  either  never  have   an 
old  bed. — TIM. 

RJsT  or  blighting  of  the  leaf  of  the  plant  is  one  of 
the  greatest  obstacles  in  many  sections  to  suc- 
cessful strawberry  growing.   This  is  not  a  disease 
of  the  plant  itself,  but  the  growth  of  a  parasite  or 
fungus  upon  the  leaf,  which,  if  abun- 
dant,  does  great  injury   to   the  plant, 
hindering  its  growth  and  development, 
and  causing  a  failure  of  the  crop  of  fruit. 
Some  varieties  are  more  liable  to  rust 
than     others,    and     the    trouble 
appears  to  be  greater  in    some 
neighborhoods  than  others.     The 
reader  will  find  below  some  inter- 
esting expressions  on  this  subject, 

SAMUEL  MILLER        The  Bordeaux  mixture,  if  used  as  a  spray, 
will  prevent  leaf  rust.  Mo. 

Beds  that  are  only  fruited  one  season  are  not  usually  troubled 
G.  S.  BUTLER*  with  rust  or  blight.  I  use  Bordeaux  mixture, 
if  I  see  trouble.  Conn. 

Rust  may  be  effectually  checked  by  spraying,  but  prevention 
is  better  than  cure,  and  there  are  so  many  varieties  not  subject 
EDW.  W.  CONE  to  this  disease  that  one  can  easily  choose 
those  not  liable  to  it.  On  ground  treated  to  barn-yard  manure, 
plants  are  much  more  liable  to  rust  than  where  a  commercial 
fertilizer  is  used.  Wis. 

CHARLES  WRIGHT        Have  tried  nothing  to  cure  leaf  blight; 
usually  secure  such  varieties  as  are  not  subject  to  it.  Del 


90  BIGGLE  BERRY  BOOK. 

Plant  iron-clad  varieties,  those  that  do  not  rust.  Such 
GEO.  F.  BEEDE  varieties  are  among  the  most  productive,  and 
the  best  every  way.  N.  H. 

S.  W.  GILBERT  The  Bordeaux  mixture  will  prevent  rust.  Mo. 
BENJ.  M.  SMITH  If  possible,  put  out  the  kinds  that  have  not 
a  tendency  to  rust.  Mass. 

I  do  not  know  what  will  prevent  leaf 
rust.  It  rarely  ever  attacks  a  bed  of  plants 
T.  J.  DWYER  until  it  has  become  old, 
and  should  be  plowed  under  ;  or  a  bed 
that  is  on  land  that  has  been  used  continu- 
ously for  strawberries.  N.  Y. 

Burning  over  the  beds  is  the  best  I  can 
mention.      If  bothered  with  rust  I  would 
E.  W.  REID        not  allow  a  bed  to  remain 
over  one  year,  and  would  not  plant  the 
T.  j.  DWYER  same  ground  more  than  once  in  five  years. 

O. 

Have  had  no  experience  doctoring  for  leaf  rust.  Avoid  by 
planting  new  beds  every  year,  with  strong,  healthy  plants  from 
new  beds.  If  this  course  would  be  taken  with  our  growers  in 
general,  we  think  there  would  not  be  the  trouble  now  com- 
EUGENE  WILLETT  plained  of.  An  old  strawberry  bed  makes 
as  near  a  perfect  breeding  place  for  insects  and  fungi,  as  it  is 
possible  to  conceive  of.  Plow  them  up  as  soon  as  through  pick- 
ing, and  plant  to  potatoes.  These  do  well  after  strawberries, 
and  your  field  is  in  good  condition  for  next  spring's  setting  of 
strawberries.  You  will  see  leaf  blight  in  most  of  heavy  yielders 
after  producing  their  crop.  The  remedy  is  to  set  new  beds. 

N.  Y. 

The  fungi  which  turns  the  leaves  red  in  mid-summer  we 
J.  W.  ADAMS  avoid  by  planting  only  such  kinds  as  are  not 
subject  to  that  malady.  Mass, 


SUMMARY  REMARKS. 

Leaf  rust  first  shows    itself   upon    the  leaves   as 
purplish  or  reddish  spots  ;    these   enlarge,   and    the 


RUST  AND   INSECTS.  91 

centre  tissues  being  destroyed,  they  change  to  a 
yellowish  white  color.  The  spots  are  often  so  numer- 
ous as  to  destroy  the  leaves.  The  fungus  also  works 
upon,  and  does  most  injury  to,  the  flower  or  fruit 
stalks,  and  as  a  result  the  berries  wither  and  dry  up. 

The  remedy  is  in  planting  varieties  least  subject  to 
attack,  to  set  out  only  strong,  healthy  plants,  from 
beds  that  have  not  fruited,  give  careful  cultivation, 
fertilize  liberally,  and  keep  a  bed  in  fruiting  only  one 
year. 

Application  of  Bordeaux  mixture,  prepared  in  the 
usual  way,  using  three  pounds  of  copper  sulphate,  the 
same  of  fresh  lime,  and  thirty-two  gallons  of  water. 
Applying  early  in  the  spring,  and  again  after  the 
blossoms  fall,  will  hold  leaf  rust  in  check  until  after 
the  crop  is  gathered.  For  the  new  bed  apply  as  often 
as  there  is  any  sign  of  rust.  For  an  acre,  or  less,  the 
knapsack  sprayer  will  readily  do  the  work — if  one 
can  carry  it  by  proxy. 

There  are  several  insects  that  have  special  fondness 
for  the  strawberry  plant,  though  I  have  never  been 
bothered  with  any.  The  root-borer  is  about  a  half-inch 
long,  whitish  in  color,  and  bores  into  the  crown  in  the 
fall,  remaining  all  winter.  The  remedy  is  to  dig  up 
and  destroy  the  affected  plants. 

The  crown-borer  is  a  white  grub,  one-fifth  of  an  inch 
long,  with  yellow  head ;  the  mature  insect  is  a  cur- 
culio.  Remedy:  Mow  the  field  after  fruiting,  and 
burn  it  over. 

The  leaf  roller  feeds  on  the  leaves,  rolling  them 
up.  Burn. 

Root  lice  often  appear  in  great  numbers,  feeding 
on  the  roots  of  the  plants.  Plants  received  from 


92  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

nurseries  should  always  be  examined,  and,  if  lousy, 
should  be  dipped  in  kerosene  emulsion. 

It  is  best  to  be  watchful  of  all  destructive  insects, 
and  where  any  of  them  are  troublesome,  change  plants 
and  ground,  burning  the  bed  over  after  fruiting,  and 
plowing  down. 

Let  me  suggest  that  plant  growers  establish  the 
rule  of  disinfecting  all  plants  before  sending  them  out 
and  guarantee  the  same  to  be  free  from  insect  pests 
and  fungi.  A  good  deal  of  trouble,  perhaps,  but  it 
will  pay,  and  to  the  one  who  first  does  this  and  lets  it 
be  known  will  come  the  greatest  profit.  Thousands 
of  berry  growers  have  ceased  to  buy  plants  lest  their 
plantations  become  infested  with  these  enemies.  One 
word  to  the  wise  is  enough. 


MAXIMUS,   BIG  AND   ODD 
WHITE   WHEN    GREEN,    DARK    RED    WHEN    RIPE 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


PICKING  AND   MARKETING. 


Correct  picking  helps  ready  marketing. — TIM. 

WE   come   now  to  an  important   branch  of  our 
subject,  for  picking  and  marketing  are  half 
the  battle,  so  it  will  require  three  chapters  to 
get  it  all  in.     I  begin  with  a  statement  of  the  method 
of  picking  of  one  of  the  most  successful  growers  I 
know  of. 

Procure  careful  pickers.  The  berries 
should  be  picked  with  short  stems  and 
not  rehandled  after  being  placed  in  the 
boxes.  The  boxes  should  be  well  filled 
to  prevent  the  berries  from  jolting.  They 
should  be  cooled  before  shipping.  The 
ROBERT  H.  GILLIN  plants  should  be 
so  handled  as  to  leave  the  foliage  in  the 
same  position  as  before  picking.  This 
treatment  secures  protection  to  the  un- 
picked fruit  and  the  berry  season  will 
last  longer.  Pa. 

A.  G.  SHARP         Pick  often,  use  new  baskets   and    clean    and 
painted  crates,  arid  get  them  to  market  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Mass. 

Strawberries  should  be  picked  at  least  once  every  twenty-four 
W.  F.  ALLEN,  JR.  hours,  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  as  near  as 
possible,  and  pvit  up  in  clean,  neat  packages.  Where  and  how  to 
market  will  depend  on  the  section  where  they  are  grown.  Md. 

Strawberries  should  be  picked  off  the  vines  with  stems  and 
not  pulled  off  without  the  hulls.  If  picked  with  stems  a  better 
M.  A.  THAYER  appearance  is  given  them  and  they  stand  a 
much  better  shipment.  Have  standing  orders  for  your  fruit,  and 
in  sending  on  commission  send  to  a  good  reliable  firm.  Wis. 


ROBERT  H.  GILLIN 


94  BIGGI<£   BERRY   BOOK. 

Pickers  should  pick  with  stems  on,  especially  if  fruit  is  large. 
CHARLES  WRIGHT  This  is  hard  to  get  done,  especially  in  a 
field  where  several  hundred  pickers  are  at  work.  Del. 

A.  M.  PURDY        For  long  shipments  pick  every  day  to  have  firm 
fruit.  N.  V. 

GEORGE  F.  BEEDE        Pick  in  the  cool  of  the  day.    Small  mar- 
kets near  home  are  the  best.  N.  H. 

The  fruit  should  be  graded  in  picking,  being  careful  to  pinch 
off  the  berry  rather  than  pull.  In  topping  the  basket  the  berries 
E.  W.  REID  should  all  be  turned  with  the  stem  down  and 
point  up.  It  makes  the  fruit  more  attractive  and  commands 
better  prices.  O. 

ANDREW  WILLSON       Be  careful  to  have  the  berries  clean  and  as 
uniform  in  size  as  possible.  O. 

A.  W.  SLAYMAKER        Pick  only  the  best  and  market  in  clean 
packages.  Del. 

Build  packing  shed  in  centre  of  the  patch.  Have  an  overseer 
BENJ.  BUCKMAN  of  pickers  to  every  twenty  to  forty  pickers. 
Use  carriers  containing  six  contingencies.  Some  send  their  ber- 
ries too  far.  111. 

BENJ.  M.  SMITH        Pick  early  in  the  morning,  and  get  them  to 
the  consumer  as  early  as  possible.  Mass. 

Picking  should  be  done  as  early  in  the  day  as  possible.  None 
T.  J.  DWYER  but  well  ripened  fruit  should  be  put  on  the 
market.  It  pays  well  to  grade  fruit,  discarding  that  which  is 
small,  irregular  or  soiled.  N.  Y. 

Have  your  baskets  and  crates  neat  and  clean  ;  fill  baskets  so 
they  will  go  in  the  market  slightly  rounded.  A  few  fresh 
leaves  laid  on  the  top  of  the  boxes  sometimes  add  to  their  attrac- 
EUGENE  WlLLETT  tiveness.  Do  not  hide  all  the  berries  but 
be  sure  they  do  not  all  come  on  top.  If  you  have  not  private 
customers  find  an  honest  commission  merchant  and  stick  to  him  ; 
and  if  you  deliver  your  own  fruit,  stand  a  few  hours  in  front  of 
his  store  while  your  stock  is  being  disposed  of.  It  will  pay. 

N.  Y. 


PICKING  AND   MARKETING. 


95 


In  wet  weather,  pick  every  day ;  in  fair,  every  other  day. 
Keep  three  grades,  each  by  itself.  First  hunt  up  persons  that 
are  willing  to  pay  a  fancy  price  for  a  fancy  article,  and  they  are 
R.  D.  McGEEHAN  to  be  found,  lots  of  them.  Sell  the  second 
to  grocers  or  fruit  stands,  and  the  third  sell  at  home  for  what 
you  can  get  for  them  or  use  yourself,  or  feed  to  hogs.  Take  to  a 
cool,  airy  cellar  as  soon  as  they  are  picked.  Always  ship  in  the 
evening  if  possible,  so  they  will  travel  during  the  night.  la. 

GEORGE  J.  KELLOGG        Pickers  by  the  day  are  most  profitable; 
they  pick  better  and  less  fruit  spoiled  and  more  satisfactory. 

G.  S.  BUTLER        Pick  dry  ;  handle  as  little  as  possible  ;  pack  at 
once  and  market  early.  Conn. 

Pickers  should  never  be  allowed  to  walk  over  the  beds  or 
handle  berries  except  by  the  stem,  which  should  be  pinched  off 
one-half  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  from  the  berry  and  the  ber- 
H.  E.  McKAY  ries  carefully  placed  in  the  boxes.  Good  super- 
intendence in  the  field  is  better  than  sorting  and  packing  in  the 
packing  house.  Select  the  best  method  of  transportation  rather 
than  low  rates.  Miss. 

WM.  HOOVER        Berries  intended  for  shipping  long  distances 
should  be  but  half  ripe,  and  all  small  berries  and  culls  thrown  out. 

Col. 

WM.  JACKSON        I  pick  no  small  or  unsound  berries.  111. 

I  do  not  object  to  picking  berries  when 
J.  R.  HAWKINS  wet,  they  will  soon  dry 
when  put  under  cover  if  there  is  a  good 
circulation  of  air.  N.  Y. 

Be  as  honest  as  you  can.  Do  not  allow 
pickers  to  put  any  trashy,  rotten  or  green 
berries  in  the  box.  To  avoid  this  I  find 
W.  C.  WILSON  that  it  is  absolutely 

necessary  to  have  a  superintendent  in  the 
patch  and  directly  among  the  pickers. 
Use  clean  new  boxes.    We  use  nothing         J-  R-  HAWKINS 
but  gift  boxes  here,  costing  $2.10  per  thousand.  111. 

A    P.  SAMPSON       We  pay  two  cents  a  quart.    Kach  picker  has  a 
stand  holding  six  boxes.  Mass. 


96  BIGGIE  BERRY   BOOK. 

I  charge  my  pickers  to  pick  nothing  but  first-class  berries  for 
S.  R.  ROGERS  market ;  all  inferior  berries  to  be  put  in  a  box 
by  themselves.  O. 

Sort  into  two  grades  and  aim  at  uniformity  in  every  box 
EDWARD  W.  CONE  and  every  package.  Plant  firm  berries 
both  for  home  and  distant  market.  Wis. 

CEO.  W.  ELVINS        Do  not  try  to  ship  immediately  after  a  rain, 

N.J. 

The  fewer  pickers  one  can  get  along  with  the  better.  Use 
men  and  women ;  young  boys  and  girls  are  no  good.  I  prefer 
young  men,  the  women's  dresses  drabble  too  much  ;  if  women, 
GEORGE  Q.  Dow  .  then  I  want  them  to  wear  a  sort  of  bathing 
suit.  Never  send  a  basket  to  market  the  second  time  ;  use  new 
ones  and  clean  crates.  Do  not  deacon  your  fruit,  but  have  it 
alike  all  through.  Sell  your  own  fruit  and  keep  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  commission  men.  N.  H. 

We  use  six  basket  carriers,  Handy's.  The  pickers  sort  the 
berries,  put  in  the  small,  soft  or  otherwise  inferior  fruit  in  one 
E.  G.  TlCE  basket,  while  the  rest  are  put  in  the  other  baskets. 
The  pickers  arrange  the  berries  neatly  011  the  top  of  each  basket, 
thus  presenting  a  neat  appearance.  The  culls,  or  seconds,  are 
sold  to  peddlers  to  do  with  as  they  choose.  N.  Y. 

We  pick  our  berries  every  day  in  the  berry  season,  there  is 
no  other  way  to  do  it.  You  cannot  pick  a  strawberry  that  is  two 
days  old  and  send  it  to  market.  It  must  be  picked  when  it  is 
exactly  at  the  right  stage  for  picking,  and  if  you  take  care  to  do 
that,  you  can  ship  them  i  ,cco  miles  if  you  want  to.  The  condition 
PARKER  EARLE  to  which  I  refer  is  that  which  the  berry 
has  reached  when  it  first  begins  to  color.  It  is  largely  a  question 
of  variety,  as  some  varieties  will  continue  to  change  color  and 
ripen  after  they  are  picked,  while  others  will  not.  Of  course  the 
ones  for  shipping  purposes  are  the  ones  that  will  continue  to 
change.  III. 


PLATE  XI. 


KANSAS 


GREGG 


OLDER 


PLATE  XII. 


PALMER 


BLACK  CURRANT 


LOVETT 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


PICKING   AND    MARKETING. 

(Continued.) 

The  ticket  system  and  the  punch  must  go. — TIM. 

I  FORMERLY  used  tickets  or  cards,  containing  num- 
bers, and  a  punch,  to  keep  accounts  with  pickers* 
but  the  past  season  I  tried  the  system  recom- 
mended by  John  M.  Btahl,  in  the  Farm  Journal,  and 
liked  it  so  well  that  I  would  not  think  of  returning 
to  the  old  way.     It  works  like  a  charm,  the  pickers- 
are  satisfied,  and  it  is  no  trouble.     I  think  Mr.  Stahl 
had  his  plan,  which  is  in  use  about  Quincy,  111.,  first 
printed  in  the  Country  Gentleman. 

A  bulletin  board  is  erected  just  outside  of  the  door 
of  the  receiving  and  packing  room.  For  each  day  a 
paper  is  prepared,  to  be  tacked  on  the  bulletin  board. 
Heavy  book  paper  of  the  required  size  can  be  got  at 
almost  any  job  printing  establishment.  This  paper 
is  ruled  with  lines  half  an  inch  apart,  and  horizontal 
when  the  paper  is  on  the  board.  Along  the  left  margin, 
there  is  a  space  ruled  off  for  the 
numbers,  next  for  the  names  of  the 
pickers,  and  then  a  dozen  or  more 
spaces  in  which  to  put  down  the 
number  of  quarts  brought  in  by 
each  picker.  (See  cut).  Every 
picker  has  a  number.  This  is  im- 
portant ;  let  the  pickers  be  referred 
to  by  their  numbers,  not  by  their 
names. 


98  BIGGIE  BERRY  BOOK 

picker.  As  an  indelible  pencil  is  used,  the  pickers 
cannot  accuse  yon  of  altering  the  record.  As  you 
put  in  the  number  of  quarts  in  the  presence  of  the 
picker,  there  will  be  no  oversights  or  mistakes.  The 
entire  record  is  open  to  any  picker  at  any  time  during 
the  day  when  she  comes  to  deliver  berries.  You  can 
see  at  a  glance  how  each  picker  is  working ;  or,  if  you 
desire  to  know  at  any  time  how  many  quarts  have 
been  brought  in  you  can  foot  it  up  in  a  minute. 

Each  evening  the  record  sheet  is  taken  down, 
folded,  and  the  date,  number  of  quarts  picked,  and 
whatever  other  memoranda  may  be  desired,  are  en- 
dorsed upon  it.  It  is  then  filed  away.  These  sheets 
furnish  a  complete  account  of  the  season's  picking. 
They  also  furnish  valuable  information  for  future  use. 
I  have  found  it  advantageous  to  supply  each  picker 
with  a  berry  tray,  on  which  his  boxes,  when  filled,  are 
borne  to  the  picking  shed.  My  trays  were  made  by 
the  following  directions,  and  seem  well  adapted  to  the 
service  required  of  them :  For  the  ends,  use  inch 
strips  three  inches  wide  ;  for  tke  bottom,  four  strips 
of  laths ;  and  for  each  side,  one  strip.  No  legs  are 
needed.  Keep  the  tray  off  the  plants.  A  handle  is 
made  from  half  a  barrel  hoop,  spanning  the  tray 
lengthwise,  and  tacked  to  the  end  pieces  on  the  out- 
side. This  tray  is  designed  to  be  made  large  enough 
to  hold  six  one-quart  boxes.  Placing 
the  handle  lengthwise  leaves  the  boxes 
easier  to  get  at,  and  prevents  the  tray 
tipping.  I  only  use  these  trays  to  put 
the  boxes  in  after  the  pickers  fill 
Berry  Tray  them,  and  not  to  pick  in,  though  I 
believe  many  growers  have  the  pickers  to  carry  them 


PICKING   AND   MARKETING.  99 

along  while  picking  ;  but  this  jostles  and  injures  the 
fruit,  exposing  it  to  the  evil  effects  of  the  hot  sun, 
and  weights  the  picker.  Especially  if  the  sun  be  hot, 
near  the  middle  of  the  day,  it  is  best,  after  filling  a 
box,  to  set  it  among  the  foliage,  hid  from  the  rays  of 
the  sun,  until  a  tray  load  is  picked,  and  then  carry  to 
the  picking  shed.  The  tray  is  worthless,  except  as  a 
carrier  after  the  boxes  are  filled. 

If  wanted  for  local  markets,  start  picking  at  daylight,  and 
have  pickers  enough  so  the  fruit  can  be  gathered  and  into  the 
market  before  eight  o'clock.  For  distant  market,  try  to  pick 
in  the  evening  or  in  the  morning  after  the  dew  is  off  the  grass 
and  yet  before  it  is  too  warm.  If  picking  must  be  done  all 
through  the  heat  of  the  day,  plan  some  way  to  cool  the  ber- 
ries. Pickers  of  mature  years  are  best ;  and  as  a  rule,  girls  are 
better  than  boys.  Have  a  superintendent  for  every  ten  or  twelve 
pickers  to  assign  the  rows,  inspect  the  picking,  etc.  Kach  picker 
should  be  numbered  and  have  a  picking  stand  with  like  number 
J.  H.  HALE  to  hold  four,  six  and  eight  quarts.  Sort  the  berries 
as  picked  into  two  grades,  and  always  use  new,  clean  baskets 
made  of  the  whitest  wood  possible.  Fill  rounding  full  with  fruit 
of  uniform  quality  all  the  way  through.  After  they  are  picked 
keep  away  from  the  air  as  much  as  possible.  Fruit,  if  dry  cooled, 
will  keep  much  longer  and  keep  fresher  if  kept  in  tight  crates. 
Ventilation  in  crates  and  baskets  does  more  harm  than  good  ;  to 
prove  this,  pick  a  basket  of  nice  berries,  put  in  a  shady  but  airy 
place,  and  I  will  bet  at  the  end  of  twenty-four  hours  the  only 
bright  and  good  berries  will  be  in  the  bottom  of  the  basket  away 
from  ventilation  and  light.  Conn. 

In  picking,  do  not  allow  the  pickers  to  touch  the  berries  at 
all,  but  handle  them  by  the  stem,  and  lay  in  the  boxes  oue  by 
one  as  they  are  picked.  Pick  every  ripe  berry  in  the  patch  every 
day.  Place  enough  green  leaves  over  the  berries  to  prevent  their 
S.  W.  GILBERT  being  shaken  around  and  bruised.  The  old 
idea  that  the  strawberry  should  have  plenty  of  air  circulating 
over,  under  and  through  them,  has  been  knocked  into  n  cocked 
hat.  Treat  your  customer  so  nicely  that  once  a  customer,  always 
a  customer.  Mo. 


100 


BIGGIE   BERRY  BOOK. 


Pay  pickers  at  the  end  of  the  season,  aud  pay  those  who 
stand  by  you  after  the  berries  get  small  a  half-cent  per  quart 
more  than  transients.  This  will  hold  them  together  as  long  as 
TlM  you  want  them.  L,et  the  last  picking  be  for  halves — 
half  for  you  and  half  for  the  pickers.  Small  berries  must  stay 
at  home  ;  the  markets  want  large  berries.  Use  a  spring  wagon 
only  to  haul  berries.  Pa. 

Berries  should  be  picked,  as  far  as  possible,  when  the  vines 
are  dry  ;  all  soft  berries  thrown  out.  They  should  be  handled  as 
little  as  possible.  Take  a  light  hold  of  berry  with  thumb  and 
finger,  give  it  a  little  twirl,  pulling  from  where  the  berry  is  fast 
to  the  ground.  Never  pull  backwards,  as  you  will  split  the  stem 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  and  destroy  the  young  berries.  In  look- 
ing for  berries  never  bear  down  on  the  foliage,  but  always  run 
the  hand  under  and  lift  up.  In  this  way  the  foliage  is  kept  in 
good  shape.  In  the  beginning  of  the  picking  season  there  should 
be  great  pains  taken  to  preserve  the  foliage  and  green  fruit, 
Women  make  the  best  pickers.  Round  up  basket  well,  and 
market  as  near  home  as  possible.  N.  Y. 

I  would  pick  the  berries  as  soon  as  the  people  would  buy,  even 
though  they  were  white  on  one  side,  and  I  would  pick  off  every- 
A.  I.  ROOT  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  berry,  no  matter  whether 
it  was  sold,  given  away,  or  thrown  away.  Never  let  berries  get 
overripe  on  the  vines.  O. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

CONTRIBUTORS'  PORTRAITS. 
BIOGRAPHY. 


/  have  always  observed  that  the  most  generous ;  most  intel- 
ligent^ most  progressive -,  most  ttpright  and  most  useful  men 
are  to  be  found  in  the  ranks  of  those  interested  in  horticul- 
ture, and  too  much  honor  cannot  be  done  them  by  their  fellow 
citizens. — TIM. 

QACATTERED  through  this  little  book  will  be  seen  the 
\^  portraits  of  many  well-known  gentlemen,  living 
and  dead,  who  are,  or  have  been,  prominently 
identified  with  the  cultivation  of  berries,  either  for  the 
fruit  or  for  the  propagation  and  introduction  of  fruit  - 
bearing  plants,  and  it  gives  me  real  pleasure  to  be  able 
to  present  to  the  general  public  pictures  of  these 
honorable  and  eminent  men-,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
give  the  reader  bits  of  their  wisdom  and  experience 
in  the  berry  business. 

This  gentleman  was  born  at  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  in  1828,  and 
lives  near  there  now  (at  Middlehope).  He  is  greatly  interested 
WM.  D.  BARNS  in  fruit,  and  was  a  pioneer  in  the  use  of  the 
Bordeaux  mixture  in  the  spraying  of  grapes.  He  contributes 
cf  his  store  of  knowledge  to  the  purpose  of  this  book.  Page  44. 

Of  this  gentleman  it  can  almost  be  said  that  he  was  <;  born 
in  a  berry  field,"  having  cultivated  strawberries  for  over  forty-one 
years,  or  since  he  was  nine  years  old.  He  grows  and  takes  to  Phila- 
ROBT.  H.  GILLIN  delphia,  from  the  adjoining  county  of 
Montgomery,  the  finest  strawberries  ever  seen  in  the  Philadel- 
phia markets,  and  he  and  his  father  have  done  this  for  over  fifty 
years.  His  cousin,  Oscar  Felton,  is  famous  as  a  fruit  grower, 
and  originated  the  Feltcn  strawberry.  Page  93. 


102 


BIGGI/E  BERRY   BOOK. 


Here  is  a  gentleman  who  has  contributed  largely  to  the  value 
and  interest  of  this  book.  He  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  on  a 
truit  farm,  and  has  been  deeply  interested  in  horticulture  all  his 
life.  He  began  to  grow  strawberries  as  a  special  crop  in  1880, 
and  has  continued  ever  since,  experimenting  largely  and  exhibit- 
J.  W.  ADAMS  ing  fruit  at  fairs  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecti- 
cut, which  attracted  much  attention.  He  is  ardently  devoted  to 
his  work  and  his  successes  have  been  marked.  He  is  ever  ready 
to  impart  his  knowledge  freely  to  others,  and  I  hear  him  spoken 
of  as  a  worthy  gentleman,  doing  a  grand,  good  work,  and  hon- 
ored accordingly  by  his  neighbors  and  all  who  know  him.  He 
lives  at  Springfield,  Mass.  Page  14. 

This  enterprising  gentleman  was  born  in  Olyphant,  Pa.,  in 
1863,  and  has  lived  there  since.  He  com- 
menced growing  berries  and  shipping 
plants  in  1887.  Since  that  time  he  has  ex- 
perimented largely  in  berry  growing, 
having  tested  over  three  hundred  varie- 
E.  J.  HULL  ties  in  the  past  five  years. 
His  farm  is  so  situated  that  he  has  river  bot- 
tom sandy  laud  and  also  upland  clay  for  his 
experiments.  The  cause  of  horticulture 
has  need  of  many  such  progressive  young 
men  whose  honorable  record  it  affords  me 
pleasure  to  make  note  of. 

Here  is  one  of  the  younger  fry,  having  been  born  in  1863,  at 
Seaford,  Delaware,  where  he  now  conducts,  with  much  skill,  a 
nursery  and  fruit  farm.  He  was  superintendent  of  the  Bureau 
CHAS.  WRIGHT  of  Pomology  at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair,  in 
1893,  and  has  contributed  some  very  practical  suggestions  to  this 
book.  With  youth,  energy,  a  quick  intelligence,  and  a  strong 
taste  for  horticulture,  he  will  be  heard  from  further  in  the  good 
work  he  is  engaged  in.  Page  48. 

I  am  much  pleased  with  this  gentleman's  contributions  to 
this  book— they  are  sincere,  honest,  intelligent,  and  of  a  very 
practical  character.  He  it  is  who  originated  the  celebrated  Tim- 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  brell  strawberry.  He  was  born  in  N.  J.  in 
1847.  His  health  failing  while  in  mechanical  pursuits  he  turned 
his  attention  to  berry  culture,  especially  to  seedling  strawberries. 
His  home  is  now  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y.  Page  40. 


E.  J.  HULL 


CONTRIBUTORS'   PORTRAITS, 


I03 


Born  in  1834  in  New  York  City,  and  mingling  with  the  world 
as  assistant  in  a  publisher's  office,  and  afterwards  in  the  jewelry 
business  in  New  York  and  St.  L/ouis  for  forty  years.  Mr.  Haw- 
J.  R.  HAWKINS  kins  then  became  intimately  associated  with 
Mr.  Charles  Downing,  and  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the  late 
Rev.  E.  P.  Roe.  He  is  the  originator  of  the  Banquet  strawberry 
and  has  many  other  seedlings  on  trial.  Page  95. 

This  gentleman  was  born  April,  1846, 
and  is,  therefore,  forty-eight  years  old. 
Previous  to  1882,  he  was  a  travelling  sales- 
man, but,  his  health  failing,  he  engaged  in 
D.  BRANDT  farming  at  Bremen,  Ohio, 
making  the  strawberry  a  specialty,  and 
during  the  past  twelve  years  fruiting  and 
testing  about  350  varieties,  devoting  much 
time  to  seedlings.  He  is  the  originator 
of  the  Fountain  strawberry. 

D.  BRANDT. 

This  name  is  well    known    in    New 

England,  where  its  owner  has  been  prominent  in  horticultural 
circles  for  years.  He  it  was  who  introduced  the  Beverly 
strawberry,  naming  the  variety  after  his  own  town.  He  is  sixty- 
BENJ.  M.  SMITH  one  years  of  age,  and  half  of  his  life  has  been 
occupied  in  strawberry  culture.  Mr.  Smith  is  an  interesting 
man,  and  his  berry  experience  given  in  this  book  adds  much 
to  the  value  of  the  work. 

This  worthy  representative  of  the  Eastern  Shore  was  born 
in  Maryland  in  1867,  and  has  continued 
near  his  birthplace  ever  since.  When  he 
was  eighteen  he  borrowed  fifteen  dollars 
with  which  he  bought  3,000  strawberry 
plants.  This  was  the  foundation  of  a 
W  F.  ALLEN,  JR.  business  which  has 
grown  to  large  ^proportions,  as  he  now 
cultivates  three  hundred  acres  from  which 
the  gross  receipts  last  year  were  over 
$18,000.00.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  large  grower  of 
the  L,ucretia  dewberry  of  which  he  has 
forty  acres  in  cultivation.  In  planning:  his 

farm  and  office  work,  Mr.  Allen  has  the  active  and  intelligent 

assistance  of  bis  estimable  wife. 


w.  F.  ALLEN,  JR. 


104 


BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 


I 


This  gentleman  is  well  known  as  an  apiarian,  editor  of 
"  Gleanings  in  Bee  Culture,"  small  fruit  grower,  and  writer  and 
publisher  of  several  iuteresiing  and  valuable  books.  Among 
A.  I.  ROOT  them  is  an  excellent  book  on  Strawberry  Culture, 
by  T.  B.  Terry,  and  one  on  Tile  Drainage,  by  W.  I.  Chamberlain. 
Besides  being  a  practical  man,  he  is  overflowing  with  enterprise 
and  zeal  in  whatever  good  work  he  engages  in.  He  was  born 
fifty-four  years  ago  near  Medina,  Ohio,  where  he  now  lives. 
Page  15. 

This  is  one  of  the  sons  of  J.  M.  Smith, 
and  inherits  his  father's  business  ability, 
HORACE  J.  SMITH  earnestness,  honesty, 
geniality,  and  other  manly  qualities.  He 
furnished  me  some  practical  notes  in  berry 
culture  for  this  book,  which  I  am  sorry 
;  did  not  reach  me  earlier. 

|  This  gentleman  was  born  at  Yellow 
Springs,  O.,  in  1860.  He  is  a  self-taught 
HORACE  j.  SMITH  printer,  and  has  some  experience  as  editor, 
but  took  up  fruit  growing  at  Vineland,  N.  J.,  afterwards  moving 
EDW.  W.  CONE  to  Menomonee,  Wis., eight  years  ago,  making 
fancy  fruit  a  specialty,  devoting  considerable  attention  to  seed- 
ling strawberries.  He  contributes  freely  and  wisely  to  these 
pages.  Page  41. 

This  individual  is  the  discoverer  of 
the  Greenville  strawberry,  an  honorable 
E.  M.  BUECHLY^  distinction  that  any 
one  may  well  take  satisfaction  in.  He 
was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1857,  near  the  town 
•of  Greenville,  where  he  now  dwells. 

This  is  one  of  the  veterans.   He  began  ; 
life  in  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1835,  and  || 
strawberry  growing  twelve    years    later, ;: 
and  has  been  at  it  ever  since,  and  expects 
A.  M.  PURDY        to  continue  in  the  busi-        E-  M-  BUECHLY 
ness  until  he  quits  work  here  below.     Mr   Purdy  has  been  editor 
and  nurseryman  as  well  as  fruit  grower.     He  has  now  (1894)  112 
acres  of  land  near  Palmyra,  N.  Y..  devoted  to  fruit  growing  and 
trucking.     He  contributes  to  this  work.     Page  87. 


CONTRIBUTORS'  PORTRAITS. 


105 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  at  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  in 
1856  ;  soon  after  his  parents  removed  to  Cornwall,  and  when  old 
enough  he  secured  a  position  as  foreman  with  the  noted  author 
T.  J.  DWYER  and  horticulturist,  E).  P.  Roe.  In  1884  he  started 
the  "  Orange  County  Nurseries  "  on  a  capital  of  $200,  which  now 
does  an  immense  business,  and  with  its  worthy  proprietor, 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  public.  Page  90. 


This  excellent  gentleman  resides  at 
Irvington,  Ind. ,  and  is  interested  in  the  cul- 
ture of  small  fruits.  He  has  been  president 
of  the  Indiana  Hort.  Society  for  eleven 
SYLVESTER  JOHNSON  years,  and  is 
treasurer  of  the  State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture, worthily  filling  both  positions.  He 
reives  his  experience  in  the  pages  of  this 
book. 


This  is  Hale,  who  has  so  much  vim, 
SYLVESTER  JOHNSON  backed  by  so  much  good  sense,  honesty, 
and  amiability,  that  his  fame  is  as  wide  as  the  continent  and  as 
permanent  as  the  hills.  He  is,  perhaps,  best  known  as  a  success- 
ful Connecticut  and  Georgia  peach  grower,  but  the  Hale  Bros.' 
J.  H.  HALE  nursery  of  berry  plants,  at  South  Glastonbury, 
Conn.,  ranks  second  to  none.  I  acknowledge  my  indebtedness 
to  Mr.  Hale  for  the  most  generous  and  intelligent  help  in  secur- 
ing specimens  for  illustrating  this  book,  and  for  his  admirable 
and  copious  notes  on  berry  growing.  Page  13. 


This  child  of  New  England  was  born 
but  twenty-eight  years  ago,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  strawberry  business  twenty 
years — so  he  began  early.  He  is  a  vigor- 
GEO.  S.  BUTLER  ous  down-east  hustler. 
He  is  secretary  of  the  Conn.  Pomological 
Society.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature,  where  he  made  a  fine 
record,  and  is  none  the  worse  for  that 
experience.  Berry  notes  from  his  pen  will 
be  found  in  this  book. 


GEO.  S.  BUTLER 


io6 


BERRY   BOOK. 


Here  is  another  youngster  who  yet  is  quite  a  veteran  in  experi- 
ence with  berries,  and  has  won  marked  success  as  a  small  fruit 
A.  G.  SHARP  farmer.  From  less  than  100  acres  of  hilly,  New 
England  farm  land  he  has  sold  in  one  year  $3,087.76  of  produce, 
of  which  nearly  all  came  from  berries.  His  experience  notes  will 
be  found  in  this  book.  Page  41. 

This  venerable  personage  died  at  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  in  September,  1887.  He  was 
a  pioneer  in  horticulture  and  a  leader  all 
his  life,  compatriot  with  A.  J.  Downing, 
Charles  Downing,  Dr.  John  A.  Warder  and 
CHARLES  M.  HOVEY  Marshall  P. Wilder. 
He  is  given  place  in  this  work,  especially, 
because  he  originated  the  famous  Hovey 
seedling  strawberry,  which,  at  the  time, 
and  for  many  years  after,  was  deemed  a 
CHARLES  M.  HOVEY  great  acquisition  to  the  berry  world. 

I  was  very  desirous  of  securing  the  portrait  of  this  distin- 
guished Canadian  gentleman  for  my  book,  and  did  so  with  much 
coaxing.  Mr.  'JL/ittle  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1815,  emigrated  to 
Ontario,  Canada,  in  1843,  so  he  may  be  called  one  of  the  veterans. 
JOHN  LITTLE  He  possesses  an  ardent  love  for  plants  and 
trees,  and  has  devoted  many  years  to  the  production  of  seedling 
strawberries,  several  of  which  have  proven  valuable,  among 
others  Saunders,  Crawford  and  Woolverton.  I  know  of  no 
person  noted  in  any  department  of  horticulture  who  enjoys 
greater  esteem  than  this  modest  Christian  gentleman,  who  is 
now  in  his  eighty-first  year. 

I  have  here  an  indefatigable  small 
fruit  grower  who  has  made  the  strawberry 
a  specialty,  and  has  had  remarkable  suc- 
cess in  growing  fine  fruit  for  market.  His 
EDWARD  T.  INGRAM  name  has  lately 
come  into  prominence  as  the  originator  of 
the  new  "  Brandy  wine,"  which  promises 
to  be  a  very  valuable  late  market  variety. 
Mr.  Ingram  is  a  Chester  County,  Pa., 
farmer,  which  in  itself  is  no  mean  recom- 
mendation. EDWARD  T.  INGRAM 


CONTRIBUTORS'    PORTRAITS. 


107 


"The  growing  of  small  fruits  has  been  to  me  a  source  of 
income  and  has  paid  my  debts,  and  also  built  for  us  a  nice 
house  ;"  so  writes  this  estimable  gentleman,  who  lives  at  North 
EUGENE  WILLETT  Collins,  N.  Y.,  not  far  from  Buffalo.  The 
first  work  he  ever  remembers  to  have  done  was  picking  straw- 
berries for  an  uncle  at  a  cent  a  quart,  and  he  has  been  interested 
in  berry  growing  ever  since.  He  is  in  the  lorty-first  year  of  his 
age.  He  is  a  successful  and  interesting  man.  Page  23. 


One  of  the  substantial  fruit  and  fruit- 
plant  growers  of  Michigan,  a  native, 
though,  of  the  Berkshire  Hills  of  New 
England,  where  he  was  born  in  1849.  His 
O.  A.  E.  BALDWIN  father  dying,  he  re- 
turned to  the  old  place,  and  in  1865  remov- 
ed to  Michigan,  where  he  has  engaged  in 
berry  growing  largely,  and  lately  in  sup- 
plying plants,  in  which  he  hasa  very  large 
trade.  His  home  is  Bridgmau,  Mich. 


O.  A.  E.  BALDWIN 


This  gentleman's  name  has  become  widely  and  pleasantly 
familiar  from  his  monthly  berry  bulletins,  which  appear  in  the 
agricultural  press  of  the  country.  He  went  to  Wisconsin 
in  1856 ;  is  now  president  of  the  State  Hort.  Society ;  and 
M.  A.  THAYER  "  Thayer  Fruit  Farms  "  are  said  to  be  producers 
of  more  berries  and  berry  plants  than  any  other  concern  or  indi- 
vidual in  the  northwest.  Over  100  acres  are  devoted  to  berries 
alone.  Located  at  Sparta,  a  city  which  Mr.  Thayer  once  presided 
over  as  mayor.  Page  83. 


It  would  not  do  to  omit  this  gentle- 
man from  any  galaxy  of  portraits  of  small 
fruit  men,  for  none  are  more  conspicuous 
than  he.  It  was  in  1878  that  he  took  the 
first  steps  in  the  establishment  of  the  cele- 
J.  T.  LOVETT  brated  Monmouth  Nur- 
series, at  Little  Silver,  N.  J.,  and  now  the 
business  done  there  is  simply  immense. 
He  makes  small  fruits  a  specialty,  and  his 
"  Guide  "  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  pub- 
lications of  the  kind  sent  out  to  the  public. 


J.  T.  LOVETT 


loS 


BIGGIE   BERRY  BOOK. 


This  gentleman  is  an  Ohio  man  born  in  1863  on  the  farm 
now  used  by  him  for  a  nursery  near  the  town  of  Bridgeport.  He 
E.  W.  REID  has  already  won  distinguished  success  in  the 
nursery  business.  He  is  the  introducer  of  the  Timbrell  straw- 
berry, and  the  author  of  many  valuable  contributions  to  the 
rural  press,  and  furnishes  some  excellent  notes  for  this  book. 
Page  35. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  known  straw- 
berry propagators  and  culturists  in  the 
country,  living  at  Cuyahoga  Falls,  O.  He 
is  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage,  born  July  5. 
M.  CRAWFORD  1839,  and  has  been  grow- 
ing strawberries  thirty-seven  years.  Few 
have  done  more  to  introduce  new  and  de- 
sirable varieties  of  berries  than  Mr  Craw- 
ford, and  he  enjoys  the  confidence  of  a  vast 
multitude  of  patrons 

M.  CRAWFORD  This  live  Qhio  gentleman,  who  con- 

tributes  so  intelligently  to  the  interest  of  this  book,  was  born 
near  Waterville,  O.t  in  1855,  near  where  he  now  farms.  He  is 
ardently  devoted  to  horticulture,  is  secretary  of  the  Ohio  State 
W,  W.  FARNSWORTH  Hort.  Society  and  has  large  orchards, 
consisting  of  2,800  pear  trees,  1,500  peach,  300  cherry.  300  apple, 
1, 500  plums,  besides  24  acres  of  berries  He  has  abundant  faith 
in  the  business  and  expects  to  go  right  ahead  on  this  line. 
Page  40 

This  young  gentleman  is  getting  a  good  start,  considering 
his  name  now  is  widely  known  as  a  berry 
man,  while  yet  he  is  only  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.     He  exhibited  sixty-seven 
varieties  of  strawberries  at  the  World's 
L.  J.   FARMER         Fair,  and  received  the 
highest  award  for  largest  and  finest  dis- 
play. He  was  born  at  Pulaski,  N.  Y.,  and 
still    lives    there,    and    carries    on    the  • 
nursery  business.     He  is  the  author  of  a 
little  work  on  the  strawberry,  which  does  } 
great  credit  to  him,  being  replete  with 
practical  information  on  the  subject.  L.  J.  FARMER. 


CONTRIBUTORS'    PORTRAITS. 


I09 


This  is  a  Peunsylvanian  transferred  to  Kansas  soil,  where  he 
is  prominent  in  horticultural  circles  and  greatly  interested  in 
DR.  J.  STAYMAN  berries.  This  modest,  earnest,  true  gentle- 
man resides  at  L,eavenworth.  and  though  well  up  into  the  seven- 
ties keeps  up  his  interest  in  affairs,  especially  those  relating  to 
horticulture.  Page  46. 

This  gentleman  is  a  New  Yorker  by  birth,  born  in  1828, 
lemoving  to  Wisconsin  in  1835;  spent  three  years  in  California, 
from  1849,  and  then  located  at  Janepville,  Wis.,  where  heengaged 
GEO.  J.  KELLOGG  in  the  nursery  business,  which  is  still 
carried  on,  two  sons  helping  him.  This  excellent  firm  make 
strawberries  and  roses  specialties,  and  conduct  a  large  and 
prosperous  business.  Admirable  advice  is  contributed  to  this 
book  from  Mr.  Kellogg's  ready  pen.  Page  49. 

Charles  Sumner  Pratt  began  in  1870 
with  limited  means  to  cultivate  and  sell 
strawberry  plants  and  berries.  His  first 
plantation  in  North  Reading,  Mass.,  con- 
tained one- fourth  of  an  acre  on  which  he 
raised  the  first  year  of  fruiting  one  thou- 
sand quarts.  In  nine  years  he  had  en- 
!  C.  S.  PRATT  larged  to  fifteen  acres.  At 
this  stage  June  frosts  for  two  years  in  suc- 
cession destroyed  his  crops  and  brought 
great  financial  loss.  Having  the  usual 
Yankee  pluck  and  push,  he  started  again 
this  time  at  Reading,  with  better  soil  and  facilities  for  obtaining 
help  and  marketing  his  plants  and  berries.  The  new  Sample 
strawberry  is  his  special  pride,  considering  it  to  be  superior  to 
any  other  variety  he  has  tested. 


C.  S.  PRATT 


CHAPTER   XXV., 
A  UST  OF  DON'TS. 

Don't  give  up. — TIM 

IN  berry  culture,  as  in  many  other  things,  it  is  nearly  as  im- 
portant to  know  what  not  to  do  as  what  to  do,  and  how  to 
do  it ;  therefore  I  have  brought  together  a  large  number  of 
Don'ts,  which  I  think  will  be  appreciated  all  around, 

A    M.  PURDY        Don't  discard  old  reliable  sorts  for  untried  new 
ones.    Don't  build  too  many  air  castles  N.  Y. 

G    S    BUTLER        Don't  set  out  more  than  you  can  care  for  and 
fertilize.  Conn, 

Don't  wait  until  the  plants  are  in  bloom  before  setting  them 
in  the  spring.  Don't  let  layer  plants,  set  in  the  spring,  fruit  that 
T.  J.  DWYER  season.  Don't  expect  the  pistillate  varieties  to 
bear  alone.  Don't  hope  for  as  good  results  from  one  variety  as 
from  three  or  more.  Don't  expect  a  berry  to  be  early,  productive, 
large,  firm,  handsome,  of  splendid  color  and  of  the  best  flavor. 

N.  Y. 

Don't  set  plants  until  ground  is  fine  and  firm.  Don't  plant  a 
large  acreage  until  you  have  had  an  apprenticeship  on  a 
W.  W.  FARNSWORTH  smaller  scale-  Don't  be  afraid  to  fill  the 
baskets  chuck  full.  Don't  cultivate  deep.  Don't  let  plants  stand 
too  thick  in  the  rows.  O. 

Don't  be  too  sure  you  have  the  best  varieties  for  your  soil  and 
EUGENE  WILLETT  climate.  Don't  let  your  beds  get  weedy 
during  haying  and  harvesting.  Don't  let  the  rows  grow  entirely 
together,  keep  a  path  for  pickers.  N.  Y. 

BENJ.  M.  SMITH        Don't  grow  many  sorts  of  strawberries. 

Mass. 

Don't  set  out  more  than  you  can  take  care  of  well.  Don't  be 
GEO.  Q.  DOW  afraid  to  try  the  new  kinds  ;  a  few  of  each  cost 
but  little,  and  you  may  find  "one  that  is  just  suited  to  your  locality 
and  pay  you  big.  N.  H. 


A  UST  OF  DON'TS.  in 

A.  P.  SAMPSON        Don't  have  many  kinds  at  a  time.  Mass. 

Don't  let  dry  winds  blow  on  the  roots  when  setting-.  Don't 
H.  S.  TIMBRELL  hoe  too  deep  close  to  the  plants.  Don't  put 
all  the  big  berries  on  the  top  of  the  basket.  Don't  put  in  any 
poor  berries.  Don't  use  any  old,  dirty  baskets.  N.  Y. 

Don't  be  afraid  to  do  your  share  of  missionary  work  in  the 
W.C.WlLSON  cause.  Buy  some  of  the  new  varieties.  Don't 
imagine  you  know  all  there  is  to  learn  in  strawberry  culture.  111. 

Don't  plant  too  heavy  of  any  sort  until  37ou  have  tested  it  in  a 
small  way  first.  Don't  expect  to  get  the  best  prices  for  your  ber- 
ries if  you  put  all  the  small  ones  in  the  bottom  of  the  basket. 
CHARLES  WRIGHT  Don't  think  the  country  is  overstocked  with 
strawberries  or  that  yours  will  glut  the  market.  By  all  means 
don't  delay  planting  a  strawberry  patch  next  spring,  for  family, 
if  not  for  market.  Del. 

WM.  D.  BARNS        Don't  set  on  sod  land.    Don't  cultivate  or  hoe 
deeply.     Don't  cover  the  crown  of  the  plant.  N.  Y. 

Don't  delay  planting  until  hot  weather.  Don't  set  common 
plants  from  old  patches  even  as  a  gift.  Don't  spend  large 
W.  F.  ALLEN,  JR.  amounts  for  new  varieties,  but  buy  a  few 
from  some  reliable  nursery  and  try  them  for  yourself.  Don't 
watch  for  the  grass  and  weeds  to  start  before  beginning  to  culti- 
vate. Md. 

Don't  think  because  one  has  cleared  $500  on  an  acre  of  straw- 
A.  G.  SHARP  berries  this  year  that  you  can  do  the  same  next 
year.  Mass. 

BENJ.  BUCKMAN        Don't  expect  to  learn  it  all  in  one  lifetime. 

111. 

Don't  let  too  many  runners  grow.  Don't  depend  on  any  one 
A.  W.  SLAYMAKER  variety,  and  don't  fail  to  try  a  few  of  the 
promising  new  ones,  so  as  to  know  which  suits  your  soil  and 
conditions.  Don't  try  to  sell  little,  knotty  or  imperfect  berries. 

Del. 

Don't  let  the  weeds  grow  ;  hoe  if  not  weedy.  Don't  ask  the 
GEO.  A.  DAVIS  pickers  to  pick  larger  quarts  than  you  give 
your  customers.  N.  Y. 


112  BIGGIE    BERRY   BOOK. 

ANDREW  WILLSON        Don't  let  too  many  plants  grow.      Don't 
remove  the  mulch  in  the  spring— loosen  it.  O. 

Don't  plant  too  deep.  Don't  allow  the  crown  to  be  covered 
in  working.  Don't  allow  the  plants  to  get  on  a  ridge.  Don't  let 
E.  W.  REID  runners  set  until  July.  Don't  plant  too  many 
acres.  A  less  amount  properly  cared  for  will  pay  a  better 
profit.  Don't  use  land  that  is  not  well  drained.  O. 

Don't  allow  weeds  to  smother  the  plants.  Don't  trust  wholly 
CEO.  F.  BEEDE  to  nature  in  placing  runners.  Don't  destroy 
last  pickings  when  picking  first  berries.  Keep  the  plants  upright 
and  in  good  shape.  .  N.  H. 

Don't  leave  the  runners  to  be  tossed  about  in  the  wind. 
Press  each  one  lightly  into  the  soil  and  fasten  with  a  couple  of 
EDW.  W.  CONE  stakes,  a  stone  or  a  clod  of  earth.  The  first 
runners  that  start  make  the  best  plants  for  next  year's  fruiting. 
Don't  neglect  to  plant  a  generous  test  plot  each  year.  Wis. 

H.  E.  McKAY       Don't  think  you  know  it  all.  Don't  call  your  mer- 
chant a  thief  when  he  cannot  get  big  prices.  Miss. 

Don't  let  the  pickers  handle  two  berries  at  a  time  with  one 
R.  D.  McGEEHAN  hand.  Don't  ridge  the  ground  up  in  rows 
when  cultivating  ;  keep  the  ground  level  as  possible.  la. 

URIAH  HAIR  &  SONS        The  don'ts  are  all  summed  up  in  the  fol- 
lowing :  Don't  neglect  to  be  thorough.  N.  Y. 

DR.  J.  STAYMAN        Don't  put  off  your  work  until  to-morrow  if 
it  can  be  done  to-day.  Kan. 

Z.  T.  RUSSELL        Don't  use  boxes  the  second  time,  but  always 
have  them  bright  and  new.  Mo. 

WM.  HOOVER        Don't  let  the  berry  patch  go  without  cultivat- 
ing more  than  one  week.  Col. 

E.  M.  BUECHLY        Don't  hire  too  cheap  a  class  of  pickers,  as  it 
pays  to  pick  with  care.  O. 

Don't  rest  satisfied  until  you  can  grow  more  and  better  straw- 
J  H.  HALE  berries  to  the  rod  than  any  other  fellow  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  then — don't  fail  to  tell  your  neighbors  how 
it  is  done,  so  they  can  go  and  do  likewise.  Conn. 


XIII. 


FAY 


NORTH  STAR  , 


PI, ATE  XIV. 


VICTORIA 


A  UST  OF  DON'TS.  113 

GEO.  J.  KELLOGG  Don't  plant  by  a  line.  If  you  use  one,  walk 
it  down,  and  plant  in  the  tracks.  A  corn  marker  makes  good 
rows.  Wis. 

J.  C.  EVANS        Don't  allow  your  pickers  to  talk  while  picking. 

Mo. 

JOHN  LITTLE        Don't  sell  old  plants  under  new  names.        Can. 

Don't  let  the  chickens  scratch  the  manure  off  the  plants. 
ROBT.  H.  GILLIN  Don't  think  you  can  raise  a  crop  of  weeds 
and  strawberries.  Don't  let  your  berries  get  too  ripe  when  you 
ship  them  to  irarket.  Don't  rake  the  manure  off  in  the  spring. 

Pa. 

Don't  get  the  strawoerry  fever  unless  you  get  enough  to  last 
twelve  months  in  a  year.  Don't  expect  much  from  a  loose,  sandy 
E.  T.  INGRAM  soil  witnout  a  harder  subsoil.  Don't  try  to 
learn  it  all  by  your  own  experience.  Don't  expect  all  varieties  to- 
do  as  well  for  you  as  for  some  one  else.  Don't  condemn  a  variety 
unless  you  know  you  have  the  one  you  ordered.  Pa. 

Don't  let  your  berries  get  too  ripe  on  the  vines,  or  a  few  over- 
ripe ones  will  spoil  the  rest.  Don't  let  berries  stand  in  the  sun 
HORACE  J.  SMITH  after  being  picked.  Don't  let  the  pickers 
tread  or  roll  on  the  vines,  nor  play  base  ball.  Don't  leave  a  bed 
too  long,  but  set  some  new  vines  every  year.  Don't  wait  till 
picking  time  before  making  up  cases  and  boxes  for  the  season. 

Wis. 

Don't  plant  on  undrained  land,  on  foul  land,  on  too  light 
T.  G.  TlCE  land,  on  too  much  land,  on  too  poor  land.  Don't 
use  too  little  fertilizer,  too  little  labor,  too  little  brains.  Don't 
neglect  underdraining.  N.  Y. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

AFTERMATH. 

Not  a  bit  of  use  in  expecting  to  get  a  good  crop  of  berries 
from  feeble  plants.  Make  the  plants  as  big  and  strong  as 
you  can,  with  broad  leaves. — TIM. 

SHAKESPEARE  states  that  strawberries  were  grown  in  gardens 
in  the  time  of  .Richard  III,  but  were  a  rarity.  They  were 
among  the  street  cries  of  Condon  over  400  years  ago. 

The  great  lyinnseus  is  reported  to  have  cured  himself  of  the 
gout  by  partaking  freely  of  strawberries— a  delightfully  aesthetic 
cure,  and  a  most  flattering  testimonial  to  the  efficacy  of  the 
dainty  scarlet  fruit. 

Nicholas  I,ongworth,  of  Ohio,  was  the  first  to  discover  the 
cause  of  barrenness,  which  stood  in  the  way  of  successful  straw- 
berry culture  sixty  years  ago.  The  sexual  difference  in  plants 
was  not  understood  before  his  time,  and  failure  to  produce  fruit 
was  the  customary  thing.  Only  a  little  over  forty  years  ago  the 
discovery  was  made  that  it  was  best  to  keep  the  sexes  in  separate 
rows.  Who  made  the  discovery  ? 

Do  not  overlook  the  importance  of  study  before  going  deeply 
into  berry  culture;  and  pay  frequent  visits  to  neighbors  who 
have  had  experience  in  this  line.  See  what  they  do,  hear  what 
they  say,  learn  all  you  can  from  them. 

Manure  liberally— little  and  often— say  at  intervals  of  a 
month  through  the  first  summer.  Sprinkle  along  the  rows 
nitrate  of  soda,  bone  meal  and  muriate  of  potash  or  chicken 
manure  and  ashes,  or  any  good  commercial  fertilizer,  and  do 
not  be  afraid  of  1,000  pounds  per  acre  for  the  year,  in  addition  to 
any  other  manure  that  may  have  been  applied  at  the  first  prepa- 
ration of  the  ground,  or  as  a  winter  mulch. 

Fruiting  strawberries  in  hills  is  generally  not  as  successful 
as  in  matted  rows.  There  are  several  reasons  for  this  :  when 
grown  in  hills,  in  ground  that  is  not  level,  the  water  washes 
the  loose  soil  from  around  the  hills,  leaving  the  plants  high  up, 
and  liable  to  suffer  from  drought.  The  fruit  should  be  well  shaded 
from  the  not  sun  and  this  is  not  so  well  done  ?n  hill  culture. 


AFTERMATH.  115 

Some  varieties  will  stand  more  neglect  than  others. 

Some  varieties  are  better  adapted  to  hill  culture,  others  do 
best  in  matted  rows. 

Some  varieties  should  have  more  room  than  others. 

Some  will  stand  rainy  weather  at  picking  time  better  than 
others. 

Vary  the  culture  to  suit  the  variety. 

No  use  trying  to  grow  foreign  varieties.  Our  American  sun 
is  too  hot  for  them. 

Plant  growers  should  specify  in  all  cases  what  kind  of  soils 
each  variety  requires  ;  also  what  sections  each  is  best  adapted  to. 
Plant  buyers  should  insist  on  this.  They  should  also,  when 
buying  pistillates,  find  out  what  are  the  best  pollenizers  for 
them  Better  yet,  discard  pistillates. 

One  plant  set  in  April  is  worth  five  set  in  May,  ten  in  June, 
and  twenty-five  in  August. 

The  nearer  home  fruit  can  be  marketed  the  greater  the 
profit. 

Some  strawberries  only  pick  in  the  morning,  beginning  at 
five  and  quitting  at  nine.  A  very  good  plan,  if  you  have  enough 
pickers.  I  tried  Kevitt's  plan  of  covering  berries  with  waxed 
paper.  Not  satisfactory.  A.  I.  Root,  of  Medina,  Ohio,  claims 
that  Jadoo  fibre  is  useful  in  preparing  strawberry  plants  for 
shipping  in  August.  It  is  so  light  the  fibre  may  go  with  the 
plants  by  mail. 

Hill  culture  of  strawberries  is  apt  to  be  a  failure,  for  the 
reason  that  the  sun  scalds  the  berries  and  dries  them  up  in  a 
dry  time  more  than  in  matted  rows.  Berries  should  ripen  in  the 
shade.  This  shows  the  importance  of  large  foliage. 

IvOwlauds  for  berries  are  most  liable  to  spring  frosts. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE   RASPBERRY. 

HAVING  devoted  a  large  portion  of  the  book  to 
the  strawberry,  I  now  come  to  the  other  small 
fruits ;    fruits  of  great  economic  importance, 
for,  with  the  strawberry,  they  form  an  unbroken  suc- 
cession   of    highly    palatable    and    wholesome    food 
during  the  entire  summer,  and  are  quick  sellers  in 
the  markets. 

Referring  to  my  garden  diaries  of  past  years  I  find 
that  the  strawberry  season,  in  my  individual  case, 
extends  from  May  26  to  July 
3,  the  raspberry  season  from 
June  27  to  July  21,  the  dew- 
berry season  from  July  4  to 
July  20,  the  blackberry  sea- 
son from  July  16  to  August 
22,  and  that  I  cut  grapes  for 
market  sometimes  as  early 
as  August  20.  This  shows 
how  one  fruit  overlaps  the  season  of  its  successor. 

These  dates  are  not  extreme,  even  for  my  own 
neighborhood,  for  somebody  with  especially  favored 
location  is  sure  to  have  berries  sooner  or  later  than 
I  can  produce  them.  One  neighbor,  for  instance,  has 
strawberries  a  week  after  mine  are  done  bearing,  on 
account  of  his  situation  on  a  northward-sloping  hill- 
side. The  quoted  dates  are  merely  suggestive. 

The  raspberry  occupies  an  important  place  in  the 
succession  of  small  fruits,  and  there  would  be  a 
serious  break  without  it.  Its  culture  is  easy.  It  is 


THE   RASPBERRY.  1 17 

a  sure  cropper  under  good  treatment,  excellent  as 
a  table  fruit  after  strawberries  are  gone,  and  sells  well 
in  the  markets.  It  is  sold  in  smaller  boxes  than 
those  used  for  strawberries,  as  it  is  a  softer  fruit. 
Having  no  core  it  is  likely  to  suffer  injury  from  its 
own  weight  if  carried  in  boxes  holding  more  than  a 
pint.  Small  boxes  are  made  especially  for  raspberries. 

In  setting  out  a  raspberry  bed  it  is  proper  to  select 
a  deep,  loamy  soil,  and  to  enrich  it  generously  with 
good  manure.  The  rows  should  be  not  less  than  five 
feet  apart,  and  the  roots  two  to  three  feet  apart  in  the 
rows.  In  a  large  plantation  I  should  make  the  rows 
six  feet  apart,  for  ease  in  culture  and  to  get  more  air  ; 
still  five  feet  will  answer  very  well.  Some  growers  set 
raspberries  so  they  can  be  cultivated  both  ways.  Po- 
tatoes or  corn  can  be  planted  the  wide  way  the  first  two 
years  or  at  least  one  year.  The  black  varieties  multi- 
ply by  rooting  at  the  tips  of  the  shoots,  and,  if  not  kept 
in  or  near  the  parental  rows,  the  tips  will  soon  take 
possession  of  the  entire  soil  of  the  alleys. 

Cultivation  and  plowing  among  raspberries  and 
blackberries  up  to  August  and  early  in  spring  is  what 
gives  fruit  in  largest  quantities  and  of  best  quality. 

Some  growers  use  stakes 
or  wire  trellises,  or  a  single  or 
double  wire  stretched  along 
the  rows  to  support  the  canes, 
but  a  far  better  plan  is  to  trim 
the  canes  in  such  a  manner  that  they  will  need  no 
support.  This  can  be  done  by  pinching  off  the 
young  canes  during  the  growing  season  at  a  height  of 
about  two  to  three  feet  above  the  ground,  encouraging 
strength  of  cane  as  well  as  a  branching  habit.  It  is 


n8 


tiIGGI,K   BERRY  BOOK. 


altogether  too  expensive  to  use  wires  or  supports  of 
any  kind  when  growing  raspberries  for  market.  It  is 
better  to  stimulate  sturdy  growth  by  the  use  of  fer- 
tilizers, by  good  culture  and  by  heading  back  the 
young  shoots. 

The  diseases  which  affect  raspberries  and  blackber- 
ries are  far  better  prevented  than  cured,  and  the  best 

of  all  preventives  is 
cleanliness.  In  the 
case  of  these  small 
fruits  cleanliness 
consists  in  the  re- 
moval of  all  old 
wood  and  all  rub- 
bish from  the  rows. 
Such  stuff  should 
be  burned.  Fire 
will  effectually  de- 
stroy the  spores  or 
germs  of  diseases. 

New  plantations 
of  raspberries 
should  be  set  out  in 
the  earliest  spring, 
as  the  shoots  begin 
to  grow  with  the  first  warm,  sunshiny  weather. 

To  save  hand  labor  these  times,  when  efficient  help 
is  so  scarce,  after  setting  blackberries  and  raspberries 
(providing  tops  are  cut  back  near  to  roots),  run  over 
rows  right  after  setting  with  a  potato  coverer,  and  in 
about  two  or  three  weeks  drag  down  the  ridges  thus 
made  thoroughly,  and  the  plants  will  get  way  ahead 
of  weeds  and  grass. 


A    GREGG   BOUQUET 


THE   RASPBERRY.  119 

Annually,  the  ground  should  be  fertilized  with  well- 
rotted  stable  manure,  applied  along  the  rows,  supple- 
mented with  a  generous  application  of  ground  bone 
and  wood  ashes  or  ground  bone  and  muriate  of  potash. 
The  manure  will  not  do  any  harm,  no  matter  how  lib- 
erally it  may  be  applied.  The  ground  bone  may  safely 
reach  600  pounds  to  the  acre,  and  the  muriate  of  potash 
200  pounds  to  the  acre,  in  addition  to  the  stable  manure. 
To  fail  in  the  matter  of  fertilizing  raspberries  is  to  bid 
for  small-sized  fruit.  Keep  the  middle  of  the  row 
well  cultivated  ;  not  too  deeply. 

I  have  tried  the  plan  of  removing  all  the  old  canes 
at  the  end  of  the  bearing  season,  and  also  the  plan  of 
taking  out  the  old  wood  in  the  early  spring.  It  is, 
perhaps,  a  matter  of  convenience  as  to  which  plan  is 
the  better.  Both  are  feasible.  It  is  good  practice  to  dis- 
courage the  growth  of  suckers  in  the  summer  months. 
Suckers  are  the  shoots  which  come  up  from  the  roots. 
Only  a  few  of  the  earlier  and  stronger  ones  should  be 
left  to  mature  for  the  next  year's  bearing  canes.  All 
others  should  be  cut  off  with  a  hoe. 

Never  trim  in  the  fall;  but  there  is  no  real  objection 
to  taking  out  old  canes  in  the  fall.  This  is  not  trim- 
ming, but  cleaning.  Trimming  is  shortening  the  bear- 
ing canes,  and  should  be  done  in  spring,  after  it  is  known 
whether  there  has  been  any  winter  killing,  which  is 
usually  wind  killing.  Canes  partially  winter  killed, 
and  trimmed  down  to  within  a  foot  of  the  ground  in 
spring,  may  yet  produce  a  good  crop  of  fruit. 

Raspberries  are  multiplied  by  suckers,  by  the 
rooting  of  the  tips  in  case  of  blackcaps,  or  by  root 
cuttings.  It  is  easy  to  make  root  cuttings,  as  it  is 
only  necessary  to  cut  the  roots  into  short  pieces,  with 


120  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

a  bud  on  each,  and  scatter  them  along  in  a  shallow 
furrow,  exactly  as  potatoes  are  planted.  It  is  impera- 
tive that  raspberry  patches  be  moved  every  four  or 
five  years,  for  best  yields. 

There  are  three  types  of  raspberries — ted,  black 
and  purple.  The  yellow  forms  belong  with  the  reds, 
and  have  been  derived  from  them.  The  reds  have  a 
wider  range  of  soil  and  climate  than  the  blacks.  The 
blackcaps  are  now  largely  grown  for  canning  and 
evaporating. 

RED   VARIETIES. 

TURNER. — Sometimes  called  Southern  Thornless.  Hardy  ; 
desirable  for  home  garden  ;  rather  soft  for  market.  A  week  or 
ten  days  earlier  than  Cuthbert.  Best  on  light  soils.  Suckers  so 
freely  that  these  young  shoots  must  be  removed  to  preserve 
strength  of  parent  plant. 

HANSELL.— Much  like  Turner.  Early.  Not  of  best  quality, 
but  sells  well  before  arrival  of  better  berries. 

CUTHBERT. — A  standard  main-crop  variety,  suited  to  table  or 
market.  Under  good  culture  in  rich,  loamy  soil,  it  is  a  large' 
firm  and  finely  flavored  berry.  Shown  on  colored  Plate  X.  <] 

MILLER  OR  MILLER'S  RED.— This  berry 
within  recent  years  has  come  into  high 
favor  among  small  fruit  growers  in  Dela- 
ware, New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania  and 
elsewhere.  It  is  pushing  Cuthbert  for 
first  place  in  some  sections.  Shown  on 
page  1 1 6. 

LOUDON.— Another  comparatively 
new  variety  that  is  doing  well.  The  fruit 
is  shaped  somewhat  like  Cuthbert ;  color 
showy  red  ;  quality  good  ;  late.  Shown 
on  colored  Plate  X. 

MARLBORO.— A    fine    berry,     a    little 
earlier  than  Cuthbert.    Soft. 

THOMPSON'S  EARLY  PROLIFIC.— A  good  early  berry. 
ROYAL  CHURCH.— A  good  berry,  but  falling  to  pieces  readily. 
See  colored  Plate  X. 


THK   RASPBERRY. 


PHILADELPHIA.— Old  and  good,  but  replaced  by  Cuthbert. 

ERANDYWiNE.-Old  and  still  grown,  but  lacking  in  size. 

GOLDEN  QUEEN.— This  berry,  though  yellow,  may  be  men- 
tioned here,  as  it  much  resembles  Cuthbert,  except  in  color. 

WORTHY. — A  new  variety, 
a  seedling  of  Turner  crossed 
with  Philadelphia.  Much 
commended  in  New  England. 

Charles  Wright  mentions 
MARION'S  FAVORITE,  KENYON 
and  WINANT  as  varieties  of 
promise.  W.  D.  Barns  speaks 
a  good  word  for  WARD.  CO- 
LUMBIAN has  also  been  men- 
tioned favorably.  There  are, 
no  doubt,  many  more  prom- 
ising new  raspberries  with 
which  I  am  not  acquainted.  WORTHY,  A  VERY  BUSHY  VARIETY 

PURPLE  VARIETIES. 

There  are  several  purple  varieties  catalogued  by  seedsmen 
and  nurserymen,  but  I  shall  mention  only  one.  The  purple 
varieties  are  not  generally  popular. 

SHAFFER. — The  only  purple  variety  widely  grown.  An  excel- 
lent fruit  for  either  table  or  market.  The  canes  are  strong  and 
large,  and  demand  more  room  than  ordinary  sorts. 

BLACK  VARIETIES  OR  BLACKCAPS- 

GREGG. — The  best  known  and  most  popular  market  sort. 

KANSAS. — A  new  variety  of  great  size  and  excellence. 

PALMER.— Similar  in  some  respects  to  Kansas  ;  early  and  good. 

EUREKA. — Another  large  new  variety. 

LOVETT. — A  satisfactory  sort  in  many  places. 

OLDER. — A  variety  of  high  quality. 

Gregg,  Kansas  and  Older  are  shown  on  colored  Plate  XI ; 
Palmer  and  Lovett  on  colored  Plate  XII. 

New  plants  of  the  black  raspberry  are  started  in  September 
by  covering  the  tips  with  moist  soil,  two  or  three  inches  deep, 
and  allowing  them  to  remain  until  spring. 

I  have  unavoidably  omitted  the  names  of  many  blackcaps  ; 
some  good  ones,  no  doubt.  My  own  choice  of  two  would  be 
Gregg  and  Kansas. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE   BLACKBERRY. 

There  is  no  bush  fruit  which  is  capable  of  yielding 
greater  profit. — PROF.  I,.  H.  BAILEY. 

WHILE  anybody  may  grow  blackberries,  nobody 
should  do  so  who  does  not  intend  to  take  care 
of  them,  for  a  neglected  blackberry  patch  is 
as  much  of  a  wilderness  as  a  piece  of  wild  thicket 
land.  Besides,  disease  hostile  to  good  fruit  lurks  in 
decaying  canes  and  dead  leaves.  The  patch  must  be 
pruned,  cleaned  and  cultivated,  and  kept  in  good  order. 

The  blackberry  has  a  true  place  and  a  high  place 
in  the  list  of  small  fruits,  for  if  picked  only  when  fully 
ripe  it  is  a  grand  table  berry,  and  if  grown  properly 
the  yield  per  acre  will  reach  two  hundred  and  fifty  to 
three  hundred  bushels,  which  means  anywhere  from 
$200  to  $300. 

There  should  be  an  unbroken  succession  of  the 
several  kinds  of  marketable  table  berries  from  the 
first  of  June  until  the  middle  of  August,  beginning 
with  the  strawberry  and  ending  with  the  blackberry. 
These  dates  refer  to  the  latitude  of  Philadelphia,  but 
the  same  period  of  ten  weeks  or  more  may  be  covered 
in  almost  any  latitude  in  the  United  States  with  these 
three  berries,  the  strawberry,  raspberry  and  black- 
berry. 

Blackberries  are  adaptable  to  many  soils,  but  do 
best  in  a  deep,  mellow  loam}  abundantly  supplied 
with  humus.  A  good  plan  is  to  plow  down  a  very 
liberal  coat  of  stable  manure,  and  to  cultivate  a  year 


THE  BLACKBERRY. 


123 


or  two  before  setting  out  the  blackberry  roots.  The 
fertilizers  should  include  bone  and  potash  in  good  and 
lasting  forms,  as  bone,  wood  ashes,  etc.  There  is  not 
much  danger  that  the  fertilizers  will  be  used  in  ex- 
cessive amount.  The  soil,  if  naturally  wet,  should  be 
made  lighter  by  thorough  underdrainage. 

Young  plants,  obtained  either  from  suckers  or  from 
root  cuttings,  should  be  set  a  few  inches  deep  in  rows 
eight  feet  apart,  with  roots  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows  ; 
or  the  roots  may  be  set  eight  feet  apart  each  way,  to 
allow  for  cultivation  in  both  directions. 

The   method   of  jp* 

trimming,  as  well   as  ypE2Ste^fc^ 

the  manner  of  train- 
ing, will  depend  upon 
the  system  of  planting. 
If  the  roots  are  set  in 
rows  the  canes  may  be 
allowed  to  grow  from 
three  feet  to  six  feet  in 
length,  but  if  set  in 
hills,  singly,  they  must 
be  pinched  back  when 
not  too  tall,  or  they 
will  obstruct  the  pas- 
sage of  the  horse  and 
cultivator. 

The  ideal  plan,  perhaps,  is  to  plant  blackberries  in 
single  rows,  and  pinch  off  the  tips  of  the  young  shoots 
when  not  over  three  feet  in  height.  This  causes  the 
canes  to  branch  and  to  be  strong  and  self-support- 
ing, requiring  neither  wires  nor  stakes  nor  the  ex- 
pense of  tying  with  string. 


A   WELL-GROWN    SNYDER    BLACKBERRY 


124 


BERRY    BOOK. 


I  have  used  heavy  stakes  driven  lengthwise  with 
the  row,  about  three  feet  apart,  with  satisfaction.  No 
attempt  is  made  to  fasten  all  the  canes  to  the  stakes, 
but  only  the  ends  of  those  which  would  otherwise  ob- 
struct the  alleys  and  interfere  with  the  passage  of  the 
horse  and  cultivator. 

Some  blackberry  growers  stretch  a  wire  lengthwise 
with  the  row,  about  three  feet  from  the  ground,  to 
which  the  canes  are  tied.  Two  wires  may  be  used, 
one  above  the  other,  the  long  cane  being  tied  and 
treated  like  a  grape  vine.  Or,  the  two  wires  may  be 
placed  side  by  side,  say  three  feet  above  ground,  and 
the  canes  required  to 
stand  between  the  wires. 
Large  operations  de- 
mand the  simplest  and 
most  effective  methods, 
and  I  suppose  each  grower 
must  decide  for  himself 
which  is  cheapest  and 
most  advisable. 

This  must  be  remem- 
bered :  the  blackberry 
patch  should  last  for  a 
score  of  years,  and  more 
trouble  and  expense  are 
therefore  warranted  than 

in  the  case  of  a  transient  crop  like  strawberries.  The 
end  in  view  in  blackberry  culture  is  to  keep  the 
ground  under  good  tillage,  to  keep  the  rows  clear 
of  dead  wood  and  trash,  and  to  facilitate  the  gather- 
ing of  the  crop.  The  work  of  heading  back 
the  growing  canes,  which  must  be  done  several  times 


ELDORADO    BLACKBERRY 
REDUCED    ONE-HALF 


THE  BLACKBERRY.  125 

during  the  season,  is  more  easily  performed  if  the 
rows  are  kept  narrow  and  compact. 

It  is  essential  to  harden  the  young  wood  by  ceasing 
culture  early  in  the  summer.  The  cultivator  should 
run  very  frequently,  at  least  once  a  week,  during 
s;  ring  and  early  summer,  until  picking  time.  During 
that  period,  which  covers  three  weeks  or  more,  the 
ground  becomes  somewhat  hard,  and  must  be  broken 
up  by  the  cultivator,  to  put  it  in  good  condition.  In 
my  latitude  this  last  cultivation  will  occur  about 
August  20  to  25,  after  which  no  more  encouragement 
chould  be  given  the  canes  in  the  direction  of  growth. 
The  entire  autumn  is  thus  given  for  maturing  the  wood 
made  by  the  young  canes,  and  I  seldom  suffer  from 
'winter  killing. 

Hardy  varieties  are  preferable  to  those  which  are 
tender,  but  where  the  necessity  for  winter  protection 
exists  it  is  easy  to  remove  the  earth  from  one  side  of  a 
bush  or  bunch  of  canes,  force  the  canes  over  into  a 
reclining  position,  and  bury  their  tips  or  the  whole 
canes  with  soil.  Where  this  is  done  the  canes  must  be 
liberated  in  early  spring,  as  soon  as  danger  of  cold 
wrinds  and  severe  freezing  is  over. 

To  partly  anticipate  the  effects  of  drought  a  portion 
of  the  blackberry  blossoms  may  be  removed.  Hale 
recommends  this  plan  with  certain  species  which 
bloom  too  freely.  It  is  not  always  necessary  in  deep 
well-prepared  soils. 

Spring  trimming  is  but  sparingly  necessary  if  the 
old  shoots  have  all  been  carefully  removed  after  the 
end  of  the  picking  season,  and  if  the  young  shoots 
have  been  regularly  headed  bark  during  the  period  of 


126  BIGGIE  BERRY  BOOK. 

their  growth.  But  do  not  forget  the  cultivator  in 
spring  and  summer. 

As  to  growing  what  are  called  hoed  crops  in  young 
plantations  of  raspberry  and  blackberry,  the  question 
is  one  for  the  individual  operator.  It  will  perhaps 
do  no  harm  to  put  in  a  row  of  something  in  the 
middle  of  the  eight-foot  space  between  the  lines  of 
blackberries,  but  this  cropping  can  be  done  only  the 
first  year. 

I  have  no  doubt  whatever  about  the  blackberry 
being  profitable  if  properly  managed  ;  no  doubt  about 
its  ability  to  yield  $200  per  acre  near  good  markets, 
under  high  culture. 

VARIETIES. 

Prof.  Iy.  H.  Bailey  groups  the  garden  blackberries  under  five 
heads,  as  follows  : 

Long-cluster  (Rubus  villosus)  —Taylor,  Early  Cluster,  Ancient 
Briton. 

Short-cluster  (Rubus  villosus,  var.  sativus) — New  Rochelle  or 
I^awton,  Kittatiuny,  Suyder,  Agawam,  Erie,  Minnewaski,  Mer- 
sereau. 

I,eafy-cluster  (Rubus  villosus,  var.  frondosus)— Early  Har- 
vest, Bruutou's  Early. 

lyoose-cluster  (Rubus  villosus  crossed  with  Rubus  canadensis, 
or  blackberry  crossed  with  dewberry) — Wilson  Early,  Wilson 
Junior,  Sterling  Thornless,  Rathbun,  and  probably  Thompson's 
Early  Mammoth. 

Sand  blackberry  (Rubus  cuneifolius)  —  Tree  Blackberry, 
Topsy.  (No  cultivated  form  especially  valuable.) 

Remembering  that  Rubus  villosus  is  the  common  high-bush 
or  wild  blackberry,  and  that  Rubus  canadensis  is  the  common 
low-bush  blackberry  or  dewberry,  we  get  a  good  idea  of  the 
origin  of  our  highly- valued  garden  sorts.  Blackberry  culture  is 
yet  in  its  infancy.  Bailey  says  that  it  is  not  yet  fifty  years  since 
the  first  named  blackberry,  the  Dorchester,  was  introduced  to 
public  notice.  The  New  Rochelle  or  I,awton  was  first  exhibited 
in  1857. 


THE   BLACKBERRY.  127 

SNYDER. — Hale  calls  this  "  the  one  great  blackberry  for 
market  in  the  far  North."  This  tells  of  its  hardiness.  It  is  not 
the  largest  but  is  one  of  the  best  flavored  and  most  profitable. 

ERIE.— This  is  perhaps  the  largest  and  handsomest  of  the 
blackberries,  and  is  hardy  in  Pennsylvania.  It  is  an  excellent 
market  berry,  but  does  not  bear  equal  to  Snyder. 

MINNEWASKI. — Hardy,  medium  growth,  rather  spreading 
habit.  L,arge  berries  of  high  quality. 

ELDORADO. — Hardy ;  berries  of  medium  size,  without  much 
core  and  of  high  table  quality.  Should  be  in  every  family 
garden. 

OHMER.— Hardy,  free-branching,  with  medium  large  iet- 
black  berries. 

AGAWAM. — Fair  sized  fruit  of  high  quality.  A  variety  of 
widely  recognized  merit,  especially  for  home  use. 

KITTATINNY. — Old  and  favorably  known,  but  now  considered 
"  rather  liable  to  rust. 

ANCIENT  BRITON. — A  sturdy  variety  of  English  origin  in  high 
favor  in  Wisconsin  (Bailey)  and  other  northern  latitudes.  Qual- 
ity, first-rate. 

EARLY  HARVEST. — Among  the  earliest  and  best  of  the  black- 
berries ;  grown  for  market  purposes  in  widely  separated  parts  of 
the  country. 

LINCOLN. — A  very  late  variety.  In  some  sections  an  excellent 
berry. 

LAWTON. — An  old  standard  sort,  with  large  berry,  but  less 
common  now  than  formerly. 

EARLY  CLUSTER.— A  prolific  and  excellent  variety;  a  week 
earlier  than  Snyder. 

TAYLOR.— Hardy,  productive,  two  weeks  later  than  Snyder. 

WILSON'S  EARLY  and  WILSON  JUNIOR  are  not  quite  hardy  in 
certain  northern  locations,  but  stand  the  winters  well  in  Penn- 
S3rlvauia.  Easily  laid  down,  if  climate  demands  it. 

I  may  also  mention  Mersereau  and  Brunton's  Early,  but  do 
not  personally  know  much  about  them.  It  is  evident,  however, 
that  much  good  horticultural  intellect  is  now  directed  to  the 
development  and  improvement  of  the  blackberry. 


128 


BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 


THE   DEWBERRY. 

There  is  probably  a  great  future  for  the  dewberry,  which  is 
in  reality  a  low-bush  blackberry.  Prof.  George  C.  Butz,  horti- 
culturist at  the  Pennsylvania  station,  writes  that  many  small- 
fruit  growers  are  planting  dewberries  for  market.  I  have  grown 
it  successfully  by  tying  the  vines  or  bushes  to  stakes.  The  flavor 
of  the  dewberry  is  so  excellent  that  there  should  be  money  in  its 
culture  everywhere.  The  L,ucretia  seems  everywhere  to  be  held 
in  highest  esteem,  though  others  are  catalogued. 

W.  F.  Allen,  Jr.,  of  Salisbury,  Md.,  cultivates  forty  acres  of 
this  fruit,  and  sent  45,000  quarts  to  market  during  the  summer  of 
1898.  He  began  picking  June  20  and  ceased  July  12,  covering  a 
period  of  over  three  weeks,  and  reaching  the  market  well  in 
advance  of  the  main  crop  of  blackberries ;  and  he  profited  ac- 
cordingly. 


SHOWING   MANNER   OF  TRAINING  THE   LL'CRETIA 

Mr.  Allen's  main  reliance  is  the  Lucretia,  though  he  speaks 
highly  of  Austin's  Improved,  which  is  of  almost  equal  size  and 
a  week  earlier.  The  latter  is  a  berry  of  Texas  origin. 

Mr.  Allen  feeds  his  land  well,  and  puts  it  in  good  mechanical 
condition.  He  sets  the  young  plants  (rooted  tips)  three  feet 
apart  in  rows  six  feet  apart.  This  requires  about  2,500  plants  to 
the  acre. 

The  vines  are  not  tied  up  the  first  year,  but  are  simply  kept 
well  cultivated  and  allowed  to  run.  Early  the  following  spring 
stout  stakes  are  driven  along  the  rows  in  such  a  manner  that 
two  plants  may  be  tied  to  each  stake  ;  that  is,  there  are  just  half 
as  many  stakes  as  plants,  the  stake  standing  midway  between 


PI,ATE  XV. 


CHERRY 


WHITE  GRAPE 


COLUMBUS 


HOUGHTON 


CHAUTAUQUA 


SMITH'S  IMPROVED 


DOWNING 


THE  BLACKBERRY. 


129 


two  plants.  The  stakes  are  about  three  feet  high,  after  being 
driven  into  their  places,  and  the  vines  are  stretched  straight  and 
tied  only  to  the  top  of  the  stake.  Each  pair  of  vines  occupies  an 
A-shaped  position.  This  is  the  bearing  wood  of  the  year.  The 
new  growth  of  the  season  is  allowed  to  scramble  upon  the 
ground  in  its  own  natural  way. 

When  the  ciop  is  off,  soon  after  the  middle  of  July,  the  old 
wood  is  removed,  and  the  strength  of  the  vine  thrown  into  the 
new  growth.  The  patch  is  cultivated  and  cleared  of  weeds,  and 
made  ready  for  a  repetition  of  operations  the  following  season. 

I  have  measured  dewberries  that  were  nearly  one  and  one- 
half  inches  long,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  boxed  up 
handsomely  and  looked  well  in  the  crates. 

The  Lucretia  dewberry  is  as  good  in  quality  as  the  best  high- 
bush  blackberries. 

The  trouble  heretofore  has  been  in  the  method  of  staking, 
but  I  think  the  method  described  is  both  feasible  and  economical^ 


DEWBERRY   PICKERS 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   CURRANT. 

Give  plenty  of  manure  and  ctdture. — TIM. 

/TTVHE   currant  is   a  general    favorite,    and    every 

jL       garden   should   have,  at   least,  a   few   bushes. 

Market  gardeners  find  profit  in  growing  this 

fruit  for  sale,  as  the  gross  receipts  sometimes  exceed 

$400  per  acre,  and  the  expense  of  care  and  cultivation 

is  not  necessarily  great. 

Currants  thrive  under  a  wide  range  of  conditions, 
but  do  best  when  planted  in  deep,  moist,  cool  soil, 
and  when  partially  shaded.  Clay  soil,  with  good 
drainage,  well  enriched,  suits  the  currant  almost  per- 
fectly. It  is  a  good  plan  to  mulch  around  the  bushes 
with  straw,  or  with  green  clover  cut  in  full  blossom, 
through  the  heats  of  summer.  Some  growers  shade 
their  currant  bushes  by  alternate  rows  of  grape  vines 
and  some  by  means  of  fruit  trees.  Shade  is  more 
necessary  south  of  the  Ohio  and  Potomac  Rivers  than 
in  more  northern  latitudes. 

Where  possible,  it  is  well  to  plant  five  feet  each 
way,  using  1,742  plants  to  the  acre.  Do  not  stint  the 
manure.  Currants  require  extra  heavy  manuring  in 
order  to  get  berries  that  will  command  the  best  price. 
Not  only  should  the  soil  be  in  excellent  tilth  at  the 
time  of  planting,  but  it  should  be  top-dressed  yearly 
(every  autumn  or  early  winter),  with  pig  or  cow 
manure.  There  are  no  fruits  that  will  respond  more 
quickly  to  good  treatment  than  currants  and  goose- 
berries. They  should  be  cultivated  often,  so  as  to 
keep  down  all  grass  and  weeds.  The  pruning  may 


THE  CURRANT.  131 

be  done  as  soon  as  the  leaves  fall.  One-third  of  the 
growth  of  the  year  should  be  removed,  and  the  canes 
or  branches  thinned,  if  over-crowded.  As  the  bush 
attains  size  two-thirds  of  the  new  growth  is  not  too 
much  to  be  removed  yearly. 

The  currant  does  not  come  true  from  seed,  and 
new  plants  are  propagated  by  layering  and  by  cut- 
tings. A  cool,  moist  soil  is  necessary  for  starting 
cuttings,  and  shade  is  essential  also.  The  cuttings 
are  made  in  the  early  part  of  September,  about  seven 
inches  long,  from  new  growth.  The  cuttings  are  set 
in  rows  three  feet  apart  and  five  inches  apart  in  the 
rows.  The  soil  should  be  firmly  packed  around  the 
cuttings,  which  should  be  buried,  slightly  leaning, 
with  about  an  inch  out  of  the  ground.  They  will 
soon  throw  out  roots,  and  will  be  ready  to  start  into 
vigorous  growth  in  the  spring.  If  moved  in  the 
spring  they  should  be  taken  out  of  the  ground  early, 
as  they  are  quick  to  begin  to  make  shoots. 

Gooseberries  and  currants,  which  are  closely  allied 
botanically,  are  low  trees  rather  than  bushes,  and 
gooseberries  often  naturally  assume  a  tree-like  habit 
of  growth. 

Propagation  by  layering  is  effected  by  bending 
down  vigorous  young  branches  and  partially  burying 
them  in  the  earth,  leaving  the  tops  out.  Roots  are 
quickly  thrown  out,  and  in  the  fall  the  new  plant  may 
be  severed  from  the  parent  stem  and  treated  as  an 
independent  bush. 

The  stem  of  the  currant  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
two  kinds  of  borers.  The  remedy  for  both  is  to  cut 
out  and  burn  all  affected  branches.  Their  work  is 
sometimes  shown  by  the  premature  death  of  the 


132  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

foliage,  and  sometimes  by  the  shriveled  appearance 
of  the  bark  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  in  autumn. 
Eight  or  ten  borers  have  been  found  in  a  single 
stem. 

The  insects  attacking  the  leaves  of  the  currant  are 
the  native  and  imported  currant  worms,  and  the 
currant  span  worm.  There  are  numerous  others  that 
commit  depredations  of  minor  importance,  but  these 
three  are  all  that  are  likely  to  be  troublesome.  The  first 
two  can  be  kept  in  subjection  by  the  use  of  powdered 
hellebore,  in  the  proportion  of  one  ounce  of  hellebore 
to  a  pailful  of  water,  sprinkled  or  sprayed  on  the 
bushes  (especially  on  the  lower  and  central  leaves)  at 
the  first  appearance  of  the  insects ;  or  hellebore  and 
flour,  in  equal  bulk,  dusted  on  when  the  bushes  are 
wet,  will  be  found  effective.  For  the  span  worm,  if 
hellebore  be  used,  the  liquid  should  be  made  three 
times  the  usual  strength. 

The  ordinary  green  worm,  which  so  commonly 
attacks  both  currants  and  gooseberries  in  the  Eastern 
States,  almost  always  begins  operations  quite  near  the 
ground  in  May  and  June.  A  sharp  watch  must  be 
kept  for  skeletonized  leaves,  which  betray  the  work 
of  the  worm.  The  hellebore  remedy  already  described 
is  both  quick  and  effective.  It  is  cheap. 

Aphides,  or  plant  lice,  sometimes  attack  the  leaves. 
These  are  destroyed  by  spraying  with  tobacco  tea,  or 
by  dipping  the  twigs  into  a  pail  containing  the  same. 
Spraying  with  the  Bordeaux  mixture  will  prevent 
damage  by  the  fungous  diseases  which  cause  the  leaves 
to  drop  prematurely  in  the  fall.  It  is  advisable  to  use 
this  mixture  freely  on  all  plantations  of  currants  where 
the  foliage  drops  early.  The  use  of  the  ammoniacal 


THE  CURRANT.  133 

copper  carbonate  is  advised,  rather  than  Bordeaux 
mixture,  in  case  it  is  necessary  to  spray  for  fungous 
diseases  during  the  fruiting  season,  as  it  does  not  spot 
the  fruit. 

The  average  yield  of  currants  has  been  put  down 
at  2,000  quarts  per  acre,  with  yields  reported  as  high 
as  7,500  quarts  per  acre.  Net  profits  will  depend  on 
market  price  and  expenses,  and  both  of  these  items 
are  variable.  A  recent  New  Jersey  bulletin  intimates 
that  somewhere  about  $150  per  acre  net  profit  may  be 
expected.  Of  course  it  all  depends  upon  circum- 
stances, but  I  am  sure  that  an  energetic  man  near  a 
good  market  can  do  well  with  currants,  provided  he 
does  not  undertake  too  large  a  patch.  Many  of  our 
horticultural  operations  would  be  more  successful  with 
acreage  divided  by  two. 

RED  VARIETIES. 

RED  DUTCH. — This  is  commonly  cultivated  and 
best  known,  bright  red  in  color  and  small  in  size.  It 
will  hang  on  the  bush  a  long  time  after  getting  ripe 
without  being  seriously  injured.  The  fruit  seldom 
brings  the  highest  price  on  account  of  its  rather  small 
size,  but  if  severely  pruned  and  highly  manured  it  is 
greatly  improved  in  this  respect. 

VICTORIA. — One  of  the  latest  varieties  in  time  of 
ripening.  Very  satisfactory  in  every  way,  and  es- 
pecially valuable  for  marketing.  Fruit  red  and  of 
large  size,  and  remarkably  free  from  attacks  of  borers. 
Shown  on  colored  Plate  XIV. 

CHERRY  AND  VERSAILLES. — These  are  much  alike, 
being  red  in  color  and  large  in  size.  The  bunches  of 


134  BIGGLE   BERRY   BOOK. 

Versailles  are  longer  than  those  of  Cherry.     Cherry  is 
shown  on  colored  Plate  XV. 

FAY'S  PROLIFIC.  —  This  widely  popular  currant 
is  a  cross  between  Cherry  and  Victoria.  It  is  of 
large  size,  dark  red  color,  fine  flavor,  and  very  pro- 
lific, the  bunches  being  very  large  and  handsome. 
The  plant,  however,  is  somewhat  tender.  A  bunch 
and  a  single  berry  are  shown  on  colored  Plate 
XIII. 

NORTH  STAR. — One  of  the  newer  varieties,  recom- 
mended for  its  robust  habit  and  hardiness  in  cold 
latitudes.  The  berry  is  small.  Shown  on  colored 
Plate  XIII. 

WILDER. — This  is  a  comparatively  new  currant, 
said  to  be  a  seedling  of  Versailles ;  of  excellent  quality 
and  very  productive,  with  a  long  fruiting  season.  The 
fruit  is  red,  of  large  size,  and  borne  in  long  bunches. 
Hale  thinks  it  will  thrive  on  much  lighter  soil  than 
any  other  of  the  extra  big  currants.  The  flavor  is 
mildest  of  the  currants. 

RED  CROSS. — This  new  red  currant  is  burdened 
with  superlative  adjectives — largest,  most  vigorous, 
sweetest,  finest  in  quality  ;  also  very  prolific,  with  a 
long  season  of  ripening.  Hale  gives  it  a  prominent 
place  among  the  favorites. 

PRINCE  ALBERT. — Valued  for  lateness  and  great 
productiveness,  and  widely  grown,  but  of  second  rate 
quality.  The  growth  is  upright  and  strong,  the  leaves 
thick  and  distinct  from  other  varieties. 


THE   CURRANT.  135 

WHITE  VARIETIES. 

WHITE  GRAPE. — This  is  the  best  of  the  white 
varieties,  and  is  sweet  and  desirable  for  table  use.  It 
is  prolific  and  satisfactory  in  the  home  garden,  and 
makes  a  very  attractive  appearance  on  the  stall  in 
market,  especially  if  boxed  up  and  displayed  in  alter- 
nate boxes  with  red  sorts.  As  a  rule,  however,  white 
currants  do  not  sell  as  freely  as  red  varieties.  See 
colored  Plate  XV. 

WHITE  IMPERIAL. — A  comparatively  new  variety, 
said  to  be  sweeter  than  White  Grape ;  sweet  enough 
to  eat  without  sugar. 

WHITE  DUTCH. — An  old  and  reliable  white  variety. 

BLACK  VARIETIES. 

The  black  currant  is  seldom  eaten  from  the  bush, 
but  for  pies,  jellies  and  preserves  it  is  very  much 
esteemed  in  certain  portions  of  the  United  States. 
See  colored  Plate  XII. 

BLACK  NAPLES. — Large  ;  esteemed  for  jellies. 

LEE'S  PROLIFIC. — Hale  calls  this  by  far  the  best 
of  all  the  black  currants.  It  is  said  to  be  a  strong 
grower,  and  productive  of  long  clusters  of  large  berries 
of  superior  quality. 

CRANDALL. — This  is  the  fruit  of  one  of  the  varieties 
of  the  Missouri  or  yellow-flowering  currant.  Opinions 
differ  as  to  its  merits  as  a  small  fruit.  I  cannot  yet 
pronounce  it  as  being  of  a  desirable  quality.  It  will 
probably  disappear. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
THE  GOOSEBERRY. 

\  S  already  stated,  the  gooseberry  is  closely  allied  bo- 
jf\.  tanically  to  the  currant,  and  in  many  respects 
demands  similar  culture.  Both  are  to  a  certain 
extent  cool  weather  growers,  and  both  send  forth 
green  shoots  in  early  spring.  Their  insect  enemies 
are  much  the  same,  but  the  gooseberry  is  more  liable 
to  disastrous  attacks  of  mildew  than  the  currant. 

It  is  said  that  we  do  not  yet  know  the  real  value 
of  the  gooseberry ;  that  it  is  so  far  inferior  in  the 
United  States  to  the  gooseberry  of  England  as  to  be  a 
different  and  poorer  fruit.  Our  remedy,  of  course,  is 
to  breed  up  to  the  European  standard.  It  is  asserted 
that  our  hot  summer  sun  is  an  insurmountable  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  gooseberry  perfection,  but  I  have  full 
faith  that  Yankee  ingenuity  will  overcome  this  dif- 
ficulty. 

The  fact  is  that  the  gooseberry  has  a  true  place  in 
our  domestic  economy.  It  has  tart  qualities  that  are 
of  the  highest  culinary  value.  It  need  not  be  either 
sour  or  bitter,  but  only  pleasantly  acid,  and  it  thus 
makes  one  of  the  most  agreeable  of  sauces  or  pie  fillers. 

Besides,  the  gooseberry  can  be  raised  without  much 
trouble,  picked  in  a  quick  and  wholesale  manner,  and 
marketed  at  distant  points  without  danger  of  loss.  I 
have  recently  seen  the  culture  of  the  gooseberry  prac- 
ticed on  a  large  scale  by  enterprising  men  who  talk  of 
tonnage  rather  than  of  number  of  crates  in  a  crop,  and 
who  have  proved  beyond  doubt  that  gooseberry  culture 
may  be  made  profitable. 


THE  GOOSEBERRY. 


137 


Tendency  toward  mildew  in  any  plant  is  a  sign  of 
weakness,  and  while  it  is  well  to  seek  for  a  cure  it 
is  vastly  better  to  seek  for  a  prevention.  In  the 
case  of  the  gooseberry  the  prevention  is  to  be  sought 
in  better  culture  and  in  the  choice  of  mildew-proof 
varieties.  Some  kinds  of  gooseberries  are  better  adapted 
than  others  to 
withstand  heat, 
and  these  are  the 
ones  which  are 
likely  to  be  most 
healthy  in  our 
climate;  and,  be- 
ing most  healthy, 
they  will  be  most 
nearly  mildew- 
proof. 

One  foreign  va- 


riety,   the    Indus-  PEARL 

try,   seems   likely 

to  adapt  itself  to  American  conditions,  if  well  treated, 

but  I  think  our  true  plan  is  to  develop  the  best  traits 

of  native  American  sorts,  and  to  thus  seek  a  perfect 

gooseberry.      Considerable  progress  in  this  direction 

has  already  been  made. 

The  preparation  of  the  soil  for  gooseberries  is  prac- 
tically the  same  as  for  currants,  deep  mellow  loam 
being  preferable.  The  roots  are  shallow  feeders,  yet 
a  deep  soil  is  the  best  known  antidote  for  drought. 
Gooseberries,  especially,  are  injured  by  drought,  if 
the  bushes  are  in  shallow  soil. 

Liberal  applications  of  barnyard  manure  should  be 
given  the  gooseberry  patch  both  before  the  young 


138  HIGGLE   BERRY   BOOK. 

bushes  are  set  out  and  annually  thereafter.  A  bone 
and  potash  fertilizer  should  also  be  used,  at  the  rate 
of  600  to  1000  pounds  per  acre  ;  the  bone  to  be  in  twice 
the  quantity  of  the  potash,  if  home  mixed. 

Planting  distances  should  not  be  less  than  five  by 
five  feet,  if  horse  culture  both  ways  is  intended  ;  or  six 
by  four  feet  if  the  patch  is  to  be  cultivated  only  one 
way. 

Gooseberry  bushes  are  multiplied  by  cuttings  and 
by  layers,  the  same  as  with  currants.  Mound  layer- 
ing, practiced  by  nurserymen,  consists  in  heading 
back  the  bushes  very  severely  in  early  spring,  which 
results  in  a  multitude  of  young  shoots.  In  July,  when 
these  shoots  have  somewat  hardened,  a  low  mound  of 
earth  is  made  directly  upon  the  old  crown,  in  and 
among  the  young  shoots.  The  earth  is  packed  firmly 
about  the  bases  of  the  shoots,  which  strike  root,  and 
may  be  removed  and  treated  as  independent  plants  in 
the  autumn.  Cuttings  may  be  set  in  the  ground  in 
the  fall  or  carried  through  the  winter  in  a  dormant 
state  in  boxes  of  sand.  If  set  in  the  ground  they 
should  have  only  one  bud  above  the  surface,  and  in 
cold  weather  should  be  covered  with  soil  or  mulch 
to  prevent  the  frost  from  heaving  them  up  and 
injuring  them. 

The  tree  form  is  entirely  feasible  in  gooseberry 
culture,  and  is  practiced  in  some  gardens,  but  I  think 
the  bush  form  with  both  gooseberries  and  currants  is 
generally  preferable,  even  though  sometimes  involv- 
ing more  difficulty  with  grass  and  demanding  more 
hand  weeding.  It  is  easier  to  get  young  wood  in  case 
of  the  bush  than  in  case  of  the  tree  form. 


THE  GOOSEBERRY.  139 

Mulching  should  be  practiced  in  all  cases,  except 
under  the  highest  culture.  The  constant  stirring  of 
the  ground  keeps  the  surface  covered  with  a  sort  of 
dust  mulch,  which  serves  to  prevent  the  escape  of 
moisture  from  the  lower  soil  ;  but  if  this  constant  cul- 
ture cannot  be  given  thoroughly  and  regularly,  it  is 
well  to  spread  a  mulch  of  straw  or  litter  around  the 
gooseberry  and  currant  bushes,  especially  the  goose- 
berry bushes. 

A  favorite  method  of  growing  gooseberries  and 
currants  on  a  large  scale  is  in  plantations  of  fruit  trees, 
especially  while  the  trees  are  young.  If  planted  in 
vineyards  it  is  recommended  that  the  grape  rows  be 
at  least  ten  feet  apart.  This  will  allow  for  three  feet 
in  the  clear  after  both  grapes  and  gooseberries  have 
made  some  lateral  growth. 

A  recent  U.  S.  Yearbook  speaks  of  the  gooseberry 
as  the  small  fruit  "best  suited  to  planting  for  market 
by  the  general  farmer,  as  it  interferes  less  with  ordi- 
nary farm  operations  than  any  other."  The  fruit  is 
long  in  marketable  condition  and  can  be  picked  with 
little  outside  labor.  "By  protecting  the  hands  and 
wrists  with  leather  gloves,  the  green  berries  may  be 
stripped  from  the  bushes  into  pails  with  little  injury 
to  either  fruit  or  bush.  The  fruit  is  then  quickly 
cleaned  of  leaves  and  rubbish  by  running  through  a 
common  fanning  mill,  which  completes  its  prepara- 
tion for  market. ' ' 

Spraying  for  currant  worms  has  already  been  de- 
scribed. See  currants.  The  same  worm  attacks  the 
gooseberry,  and  hellebore  is  the  remedy. 

Mildew  is  best  prevented  and  checked  by  spraying 
with  potassium  sulphide,  one-half  ounce  to  a  gallon 


140  BIGGIE   BERRY   BOOK. 

of  water.  The  sulphide  is  most  quickly  dissolved  in 
hot  water.  It  is  sometimes  called  liver  of  sulphur. 
The  first  application  should  be  made  in  early  spring, 
before  the  leaves  open. 

One  of  the  worst  gooseberry  diseases  is  leaf  spot,  a 
parasitic  fungus.  Where  this  trouble  exists  there 
should  be  an  application  of  Bordeaux  mixture  before 
the  fruit  begins  to  grow  and  several  applications  after 
the  fruit  has  been  picked.  The  bearing  season  is 
omitted  on  account  of  spotting  the  berries. 

Good  underdrainage,  good  culture,  proper  pruning, 
etc. ,  go  far  toward  preventing  both  mildew  and  leaf 
spot.  It  is  also  advised  that  gooseberry  bushes  be 
kept  away  from  tight  fences  or  buildings,  or  places 
where  the  free  circulation  of  the  air  is  hindered  ; 
though  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  poor  underdrain- 
age is  the  most  common  cause  of  these  troubles. 

American  gooseberry  yields  are  variable,  and  fig- 
ures are  hard  to  obtain.  We  have  as  yet  but  a 
comparatively  small  number  of  extensive  growers. 
Perhaps  2,000  quarts  of  gooseberries  per  acre  is  a  fair 
average,  but  4,000  quarts  per  acre  is  a  not  uncommon 
crop.  The  net  profit  per  acre  may  be  estimated  at  $150, 
as  an  average,  with  more  than  double  that  sum  in  spe- 
cial instances.  Prices  vary  from  three  to  ten  cents  per 
quart. 

VARIETIES. 

We  show  on  colored  Plate  XX  five  varieties  true  to  life— 
Chautauqua,  Columbus,  Houghtou,  Downing  and  Smith's  Im- 
proved. These  are  all  native  sorts,  and  are  recommended. 

A  recent  U.  S.  Yearbook  says:  "The  gooseberries  most 
widely  grown  are  Houghton,  Pale  Red  and  Downing,  all  of 
American  origin  and  parentage,  though  in  some  localities  Indus- 


THE  GOOSEBERRY.  141 

try,  an  English  variety,  little  subject  to  mildew,  is  profitably 
grown." 

CHAUTAUQUA.— This  is  one  of  the  newer  gooseberries,  of  a 
green  or  greeuish-white  color  when  ripe.  It  is  large,  beauti- 
ful and  of  good  quality,  and  the  bush  is  vigorous  and  productive. 

COLUMBUS. — Of  the  largest  size,  late  in  ripening  and  very 
fruitful  and  free  from  mildew.  Its  color  is  green  or  greenish 
yellow.  An  American  seedling,  of  English  tvpe. 

HOUGHTON.— This  is  a  handsome  and  prolific  American  va- 
riety, with  fruit  of  a  dark  red  color.  It  ranges  in  quality  of  fruit 
from  good  to  best,  but  the  berries  are  not  large.  It  is  productive 
even  under  unfavorable  circumstances. 

PALE  RED. — This  is  quite  similar  to  Houghton,  but  the  fruit 
is  smaller. 

DOWNING. — An  old  standard,  and  one  of  the  best  of  the  Amer- 
ican class.  Its  fruit  is  large  for  a  native.  The  skin  is  thin  and 
the  pulp  of  high  quality,  being  soft,  juicy  and  sweet.  The  skin 
has  a  faint  white  bloom.  The  bushes  are  quite  free  from  mildew. 

SMITH'S  IMPROVED. — Less  thorny  than  Downing.  Berries 
yellowish-green,  of  excellent  quality.  Hale  calls  it  a  delicious 
berry  for  eating  out  of  hand,  and  fine  for  cooking  purposes. 

PEARL.— A  descendant  of  Downing,  which  it  much  resembles, 
both  in  foliage  and  fruit.  E.  T.  Ingram,  of  Chester  County,  Pa., 
pronounces  it  a  very  superior  variety  with  him,  in  comparison 
with  a  number  of  other  sorts. 

RED  JACKET. — A  variety  of  Canadian  origin  ;  probably  a 
hybrid  from  Houghton  and  some  English  gooseberry.  Said  to 
be  a  better  shipper,  but  a  poorer  cropper  than  Pearl. 

INDUSTRY. — Our  best  known  European  variety.  The  fruit  is 
large,  oblong  in  shape,  nearly  smooth,  dark  red,  sub-acid  or 
nearly  sweet  in  flavor,  and  a  good  market  berry.  It  is  not  nearly 
so  prolific  as  the  American  sorts,  but  occasionally  overbears. 
The  bush  is  somewhat  liable  to  mildew. 

WHITESMITH.— A  pale  yellow  berry  of  English  origin  ;  sweet 
and  very  good,  but  liable  to  mildew. 

CROWN  BOB.— An  English  gooseberry ;  large,  smooth,  dark 
red,  sweet  ;  much  like  Industry,  but  not  so  robust,  and  more 
susceptible  to  mildew. 

Columbus,  Houghton,  Chautauqua,  Smith's  Improved  and 
Downing  are  shown  on  colored  Plate  XVI. 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

OTHER   BERRIES,    INCLUDING  SOME   NOVEI/TIES. 

BUFFALO     BERRY,     CRUNELLS,     MAYBERRY,     GOUMI,     JUNEBERRY, 

LOGANBERRY,  MULBERRV,  MUSKBERRY,    PRIMUS   HYBRID 

BERRY,  STRAWBEKRY-RASPBEKRY,  WINEBERRY. 

WITH  novelties  the  practical  farmer  or  gardener  should 
have  but  little  to  do.  Most  of  them  are  worthless  for 
business  purposes.  Sti;l,  I  think  it  is  worth  while  to 
keep  an  eye  upon  them.  In  the  above  list  the  Loganberry,  for  in- 
stance, promises  to  become  a  recognized  and  standard  small  fruit. 

BUFFALO  BERRY. — This  is  Shepherdia  argentea  of  the  bota- 
nists. It  is  a  pretty,  ornamental  shrub,  prolific,  and  highly  prized 
for  its  fruit  in  the  drier  portions  of  the  Northwest.  The  fruit  is 
small,  acid,  scarlet  in  color,  with  small  seeds. 

CRUNELLS. — Novelty.  Claimed  to  be  a  cross  between  the 
gooseberry  and  the  currant.  It  has  no  thorns,  and  resembles 
the  Missouri  currant  to  some  degree  in  foliage  and  growth. 

MAYBERRY. — Novelty.  Said  to  be  a  promising  candidate  for 
public  favor  ;  a  member  of  the  raspberry  group. 

THE  GOUMI.— Widely  advertised  under  the  name  Elezagnus 
longipes  (pronounced  lon-gi-pees).  The  word  Elceagnus  is  the 
botanic  genus,  and  the  word  longipes  means  long  footed  or  long 
stemmed,  referring  to  the  fruit.  Goumi  is  the  Japanese  name 
for  it. 

I  am  inclined  to  look  with  favor  on  this  new  fruit,  but  cannot 
advise  anyone  to  plant  it,  except  in  an  experimental  way  or  for 
ornamental  purposes.  It  may  take  a  standard  market  position 
after  a  time,  but  for  some  years  to  come  it  will  remain  a  novelty. 

Prof.  Bailey,  of  Cornell,  says  it  is  there  "a  graceful  and 
handsome  bush  of  five  or  six  feet  high,  bearing  a  profusion  of 
silver-white  leaves  and  most  abundant  crops  of  cinnabar-red  and 
gold-flecked  berries.  Whether  considered  for  ornament  or  for 
fruit,  it  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  many  excellent  shrubs  which 
have  come  to  us  from  Japan."  It  is  perfectly  hardy. 

JUNEBERKY. — The  Juncberries  are  descendants  cf  our  native 
shadbush,  Amalanchier.  They  are  catalogued  by  some  nursery- 
men, but  still  belong  in  the  group  of  novelties,  and  have  not  dem- 
onstrated their  right  to  a  place  among  our  standard  small  fruits. 


OTHER   BERRIES.  143 

LOGANBERRY.— This  berry  has,  I  think,  come  to  stay.  It  ap- 
pears to  be  worthy  of  the  attention  of  market  men,  though  the 
testimony  on  this  point  is  yet  meagre.  Prof.  George  C.  Butz» 
horticulturist  at  the  Pennsylvania  Station,  says  the  Loganberry 
is  certain  to  find  a  place  in  cultivation. 

This  new  fruit  was  originated  in  California  by  Judge  J.  H. 
Logan.  Its  first  bearing  was  in  May,  1883.  Its  ancestors  were 
Aughinbaugh,  a  pistillate  dewberry,  fertilized  by  "an  old  variety 
of  red  raspberry  *  *  *  resembling  the  Red  Antwerp." 

The  Loganberry  is  commonly  described  as  being  a  cross 
between  a  blackberry  and  a  raspberry. 

Its  habit  of  growth  is  somewhat  like  the  dewberry,  and  its 
method  of  multiplication  resembles  the  blackcap  raspberry,  as 
the  canes  root  at  the  tips.  To  what  extent  it  will  prove  hardy  in 
the  Northern  and  Northwestern  States  remains  to  be  demon- 
strated by  experience. 

The  fruit  is  of  a  highly  desirable  size  and  character,  partak- 
ing of  the  nature  of  both  parents.  It  has  been  called  a  red 
blackberry,  but  has  a  distinct  raspberry  flavor. 

It  is  necessary  to  caution  buyers  to  be  extremely  careful  of 
Loganberry  stock  offered  for  sale  by  agents,  as  it  is  believed  that 
a  good  deal  of  worthless  stuff  has  already  been  sold.  It  is 
better  to  buy  only  of  well-known  dealers  whose  reputations 
guarantee  purity  of  stock. 

MULBERRY. — Offered  in  the  catalogues,  but  nowhere  very 
largely  grown  for  market  purposes.  The  Downing  mulberry 
has  real  merit. 

MUSKBSRRY. — Novelty.  A  member  of  the  raspberry  group. 
I  do  not  know  anything  against  this  berry,  but  some  of  its  class 
are  too  persistent  when  they  once  get  possession  of  a  bit  of  soil. 

PRIMUS  HYBRID  BERRY. — Another  raspberry,  or  a  hybrid  be- 
tween blackberry  and  raspberry.  A  novelty. 

STRAWBERRY-RASPBERRY. — The  Rhode  Island  Station,  after  a 
trial  of  two  years,  calls  this  "  a  veritable  weed,  entirely  destitute 
of  desirable  qualities  for  market  purposes."  Still,  it  is  a  hand- 
some ornament,  if  nothing  more. 

WINEBERKY. — The  Japanese  wineberry  has  been  widely  dis- 
tributed over  the  country,  and  has  some  friends,  but  does  not 
appear  to  find  public  favor  for  market  purposes. 


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